Smoke And Mirrors
by sandra70
Summary: Three days before Maddie's and David's wedding, a ghost from the past gliding in from outer space pays a surprise visit... as if David wasn't already nervous enough about his unorthodox family meeting Maddie's parents...
1. Invasion From Outer Space

_**Smoke And Mirrors**_

_**Chapter 1 – Invasion From Outer Space**_

The waitress in the small Italian restaurant was a young, pretty redhead. Her beautiful smile and huge grey eyes were instantly apparent as she graciously handed around the menus to her customers.

'Hi, my name is Maggie,' she introduced herself with a sweet, melodious voice. 'What can I do for you today?'

Before the other man could open his mouth, the taller one winked an emerald green eye at her and smirked. 'For starters,' said Richard Addison, 'two glasses of Merlot, a bottle of water and a note with your phone number would be nice.'

Maggie smiled politely and walked away in silence; but when she turned around, David noticed she was rolling her eyes.

'Dork,' he hissed and kicked his brother under the table.

'Ouch!' Richie complained.

David bent forward and shot him a furious glance. 'Behave like a normal human being and not like a sex driven Neanderthal! I might want to have lunch here some day again without being kicked out!'

Richie raised his hands in defense, palms up. 'Great googly-moogly, bro – chill down a bit, will ya?' He shook his head in disbelief. 'What's happened to you? That hurt!' He bent down and rubbed his right shin where David's foot had hit him.

'Good!' David growled.

'Hypocrite!' Richie shot back. 'That was just the sort of thing _you_ would say!' he defended himself.

'_Would have said_, idiot!' David snapped. 'Ten years ago! Five. Okay, maybe three. Anyway, past tense, got it?'

Richie smirked. 'Bro, you've got it bad.'

'Agreed.' David gave an involuntary shrug and smiled. 'But a good bad.'

* * *

><p>Maddie had just put little Davey to sleep (in his crib) in David's office so she would be able to work without disturbing him. She closed the door in careful slow motion until it softly clicked behind her. Happy that Davey would no longer be disturbed, she whirled around with a wide smile, opening her mouth to say something funny to Agnes. She was smiling a lot these days. However, she froze in mid-movement when she noticed that there was something decidedly wrong.<p>

Everybody in the main office were on their feet, but nobody was moving. They were rooted to the spot, all staring at her with wide eyes, as if they had just spotted some obscenity. MacGillicuddy's jaw had dropped. Maddie raised her eyebrows and focused on Agnes. Only Agnes was not looking at Maddie; she was burning holes, with her large brown eyes, into the back of the head of the visitor. This visitor slowly turned around to look directly at Maddie. She felt the blood rush to her head.

'Sam!' she uttered. The shocked undertone in her voice expressed her disbelief.

Sam Crawford smiled his pleasant lamb-roast smile. 'I just stopped by to say hi...'

Behind her desk, Agnes seemed to grow a few inches. She said in a loud, clear voice, sounding a little impatient: 'Well,_ hi!_'

Sam didn't even bother to turn around, he just smiled to himself, his eyes fixed on Maddie.

She swallowed and murmured a bit guiltily: 'Hi.'

He nodded. 'Hi.'

There was an awkward moment...

Then, after a long pause, Maddie took a deep breath and walked over to him. Much to Agnes's dismay, she kissed Sam lightly on the cheek, but Agnes also noticed that Maddie didn't seem to be at all comfortable with this action. All the same, Agnes was horrified, when Maddie suggested to her former lover:

'Let's talk in my office.'

Without waiting for an answer, she walked past him and Agnes's desk, with Sam Crawford following at her heels.

When she was just passing the reception desk, Agnes whispered: 'Miss Hayes, I could...' _...call Mr. Addison._

Maddie stopped dead in her tracks and turned her head to Agnes. 'No,' she interrupted sharply, just to add in a softer voice: 'That won't be necessary, Agnes.' _I can handle __this__myself. Don't worry._

Sam pretended not to have noticed the exchange between the two women. He followed Maddie into her office, and when the door closed behind them, Agnes cracked the pencil she had been holding in her right hand with a sharp sound.

* * *

><p>Inside Maddie's office, there was another uncomfortable silence, then Maddie started to talk: 'It's been a long time...'<p>

Sam had been quietly watching her. 'Yes, well, a long time.'

She strode over to the mauve chair with firm steps and carefully sat down, motioning towards the matching sofa. If Sam had noticed that she had chosen her seating accommodation deliberately, so he couldn't sit beside her, he didn't show it. Maddie cleared her throat. 'So... what brings you back to L.A.?'

Sam sat down on the edge of the chair and shrugged. 'Oh, just business,' he said evasively. 'I've quit NASA.'

Maddie nodded slowly, not exactly knowing where to look. 'I see...' Her thoughts were racing. Why was he here? What did he want? She had managed to push, to the back of her mind, the role he had played in her life a year ago, expecting to never see him again, and yet there he was, sitting before her. She sighed.

He continued nonchalantly, with a pleasant smile: '...and I thought I'd just come by... to see how you're doing.'

Her blue eyes widened in disbelief. 'You just came by to see how I'm _doing_?' she repeated.

He blinked innocently. 'Yes, sure.' He was scrutinizing her closely now. 'How _are_ you doing?'

Maddie folded her arms and pursed her lips, already slightly annoyed. 'Why did you never come back to find out my answer to your question?' she asked without answering _his_ previous question.

Sam shrugged. 'Well, I thought that...' he paused for a moment and then went on: '...had your answer been _yes_ you would have found a way to let me know.'

She frowned and bent instinctively forward on her chair, not to create nearness, but to fully comprehend what he was saying. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. 'Uhm... did I get this right? You asked me to marry you, but you didn't bother to wait for the answer – ' she took a deep breath ' – and_ I _am supposed to let _you_ know?' At this point, Maddie sounded livid but this somehow escaped Sam's perception.

He smiled indulgently, almost a little patronizingly, and spoke softly to her like an understanding teacher or parent would speak to a stubborn teenager. 'Maddie,' he said in honeyed tones, 'I really think you were too confused to make the right choice.'

Maddie nodded slowly, thoughtfully. _You have no idea how right you are._ 'Guess I was.'

Sam got up to his feet, taking a step in her direction, self-confidence dripping from every pore. _Wow, how come I never noticed his here-comes-the-golden-boy-attitude?_ She stared at him in fascination. He mistook her glance for admiration, admiration for his generosity. 'And...?' he went on in that pretentious tone, '_are_ you _still _confused?'

Maddie also rose to her feet, retreating a step, keeping the distance between them. Judging by the way he looked at her, Sam seemed baffled by this. She answered him in a calm and determined voice: 'I've never been so clear.' Again, she folded her arms. 'So... let me get this straight...' – the tone of her voice rose only half a nuance – 'you are saying you'd like to know if I'm smart enough to make the _right_ choice today?'

_That_ was the moment when Sam Crawford noticed that something was drifting out of his orbit here. He raised both hands in a defensive mode. 'Maddie,' he tried to soothe, 'I wouldn't exactly put it that way...'

'Well, _I_ would,' she interrupted, unnerving him with her stitched on smile. 'And you're gonna get your answer.' She walked past him to the door. His eyes followed her with a puzzled look, and he spun around to face her again.

'Where...'

'I'll be right back, Sam,' she promised. 'I just want you to meet someone.'

He frowned, smiling somewhat uneasily. 'Okay...'

When the office door closed behind Maddie, he blew his cheeks in a clueless way.

* * *

><p>Maddie strode through the main office with long, determined strides. Agnes jumped to her feet the moment she heard the door and opened her mouth to fire her with questions, but Maddie just held up a hand to silence her before she could say anything. Agnes sighed and shut her mouth again, but then, strangely enough, she noticed that Maddie was wearing a very small, mysterious smile on her face.<p>

Maddie walked into David's office, and Agnes murmured: 'What the...' and only after a few moments, Maddie reappeard, gently carrying the baby in her arms. Davey was still asleep. Agnes's eyes widened in surprise, but when she saw how Maddie smiled down at the sleeping child in her arms and then briefly raised her glance to meet hers with that same smile – she knew that there was no need for worry.

Maddie re-entered her own office, and when the door was shut behind her, Agnes let herself sink slowly back on her chair, smiling.

* * *

><p>When Maddie had come into her office with the baby in her arm, Sam Crawford's eyes widened in disbelief, and his jaw dropped open; he was obviously speechless and could only stammer.<p>

'How... what...'

Maddie looked him straight in the eyes and said very quietly: 'Sam, this is my son.'

Sam wasn't looking at her, he was eyeing the baby somewhat suspiciously, frowning, obviously calculating the passing of time. Maddie felt spontaneous anger well up. 'How old...?' he managed.

'Almost three months,' she answered.

Maddie could read his mind which was furiously calculating by now, counting down the months. Then he attempted: 'Does that mean we...'

'No,' she interrupted firmly, 'not _we_. He's David's.'

Sam gasped and almost spat out the name. '_David's_? How... I mean, how can you be so sure?'

Maddie was standing there in the middle of the room, self-confident, solid as a rock. Her son was still sleeping peacefully in her arms. She smiled at her former lover. 'Believe me, as soon as he opens his eyes, you'll see that there's absolutely no doubt about _that._'

Sam drew a deep breath and remarked sourly: 'Oh. I see.' He folded his arms. 'You... you didn't waste time, did you?'

'Oh, you're wrong, Sam,' Maddie contradicted. 'I _did_ waste time. Way too much.'

He shrugged, his feeble smile shallow. 'If you say so. And... where is he, if I may ask?' he added in a sarcastic voice, full of disdain: 'Did he get drunk and crawl into his hole?'

Maddie controlled her anger, because she was holding her son in her arms (this, thank goodness,gave her the ability to stay calm, although her instinct was screaming at her to throw something heavy in Sam's handsome face). Instead, she just answered: '_You_ were the one who ran away, Sam._ I_ ran away. David was the only one who didn't.' Somehow, she delighted in the way he pursed his lips, obviously annoyed at her words. She went on: 'He's been here all the time, ever since, even when I told him I didn't want him. Even when we both thought the baby... wasn't his. He _never_ left my side.' Her voice had gone very deep and dark, underlining the seriousness of her words, along with the ice-cold blue fire in her eyes. 'He stuck like glue.'

'Glue?' Sam echoed.

'Yes, _glue_,' she almost savored the words in her mouth.

Sam shrugged, obviously feeling uncomfortable, and admitted reluctantly: 'Okay, he's more adult than I thought, then. But...'

Maddie shook her head. 'No, he's not,' she interrupted, smiling. 'Never has been, and never will be. But that's okay with me, because he's more than that. _So_ much more. He may not have a great career or a wealthy family, he may not have a sophisticated background or formal dining etiquette, but he's got what _really_ matters: heart and soul and honesty.' Maddie paused for a brief moment, utterly enjoying this feeling of conviction that she had; every word she uttered came from the core of her heart. Then, although it wasn't really necessary anymore: 'He's everything to me, Sam, he's my _lifeline_. I love him. I have loved him for a long time. And he loves me.' She nodded.

Sam swallowed, not quite sure of what to say. 'Well...' he started in a lame tone, 'I hope the best for you, Maddie. I just hope he's worth it.'

'He is. We are.' Maddie smiled again and looked down at the child. '_We_ are.'

Sam cleared his throat. 'Well, I guess there's nothing left to say, right?'

'You could give us your best wishes,' Maddie suggested. 'We're getting married in three days.'

He gave a little snort and then, remembering that he definitely hadn't been _cast as the bad guy here_, he replied: 'Of course I wish you all the luck in the world.' He couldn't refrain from adding under his breath: 'You might need it.'

As soon as she heard those words, Maddie's face closed down. If she still had had any qualms about how she had treated Sam one year ago, this was now retracted by the revelation of his arrogance, they were gone. 'I've already had more luck than I probably deserve,' she said quietly.

He slowly shook his head, still in shock about the news – not so much about the kid, but more about what she had said about David. He found it totally unbelievable. 'You know, Maddie,' he said in a regretful tone, 'with me you wouldn't be in need of luck. Or of _anything_.'

She scrutinized him closely, looked down at the baby for a moment and then back at Sam. 'Can I ask you something, Sam?'

He frowned. 'Sure.'

'If I had chosen you – would you have made me leave Blue Moon?'

He shrugged. 'Well, if you were_ my _wife, you certainly wouldn't have to work. At least not - ' he paused shortly and raised an eyebrow ' - in a _detective agency_.' There was no real disdain in his words, but Maddie could feel it in the air between them.

She replied dryly: 'Oh, I really appreciate how much you seem to_ respect_ my business and what I have achieved through it.'

He raised his hands. 'Maddie, I didn't mean it that way...'

Maddie shook her head in a barely perceptible move. 'It doesn't matter, Sam. It just shows that we might have been close once, but now you don't know anything about who I_ really_ am – whereas David knows me like the back _and_ the palm of his hand. Better than anyone else in this world.' The baby stirred slightly, and she held him a bit closer to her chest, in a protective gesture. It was like she were protecting her whole new life from Sam's disdain. 'He'd never ask me to give up a job that I have grown to love.' She took a deep breath. 'And yes, I guess there _is_ nothing left to say.'

Sam nodded and then inclined his head in an ironic little bow. 'Good bye, Maddie.' his voice sounded sour, defeated. Clearly, he wasn't used to suffering a rebuff like that.

Maddie didn't feel the need to say anything, instead she just smiled and watched him in silence, until he turned around, opened the office door and disappeared from her life.

* * *

><p>When David entered main office after his lunch with Richie, he directly took the road to Maddie's door. Agnes jumped up from her chair like she had been stung by a bee and stepped boldly in his way. 'Uhm, Mr. Addison...' she stammered, 'Miss Hayes shouldn't be disturbed.'<p>

David raised an amused eyebrow. 'Agnes, I have always disturbed Miss Hayes,' he reminded her, 'and in three days I'll be even legally entitled to do so, I might add.'

His composure made it clear that he expected Agnes to step out of his way, but she was not giving way. 'But this is a... special case,' she insisted.

'Don't worry, Curlyhead. I've seen her nursing before.' he said dryly and lowered his voice to an ironic whisper, as if he were telling a secret. 'You know, I'm around her quite often.'

Agnes surprised him now by raising both hands and giving her usually girlish sounding voice a firm note. 'No.'

David frowned; his expression was swaying vaguely somewhere between amused, alarmed and curious. 'Okay, now I'm really...'

Agnes saw that now he really wanted to go and see what the fuss was all about; she couldn't think of any other measure than putting both hands on her boss's chest and pushing him backwards, away from Miss Hayes's office door, towards his own. David, completely taken aback, obeyed and "followed" her. 'What the...'

Agnes opened his office door and pushed him into the room, she closed the door behind them, blocking his exit. She stared at a completely baffled David with a determined look, in silence now, at a loss for the right words (Agnes DiPesto had never been the one for great words).

David was determined to find out what was going on. 'Agnes, what is this all about?' he pressed, but she didn't answer, couldn't answer. David's senses were all alert, and he clearly could detect that there was something rotten in Cleveland.

He tried to push past her, but she didn't give an inch. 'No,' she firmly objected. 'You can't. Miss Hayes is not alone right now.'

David pointed at the empty crib. 'I _know_. But...'

Agnes shook her head. 'I'm not talking about the baby, Mr. Addison. Miss Hayes has... a visitor.'

'A visitor?' he echoed, frowning.

'A visitor.' she nodded.

He raised his hands in a questioning gesture, slowly losing his patience. 'A client? So what?'

'Not a client.'

'Not a client? What then?' David ruffled his hair in despair. '_What?_ Taxmen? FBI? Invasion from outer space?'

Agnes suddenly winced. 'Kind of...' she managed, and something in her voiced touched a string in him, and the tune it played wasn't pure.

David frowned and looked at her questioningly, as if he could pull the answers out of her merely by piercing her with looks. There was a long pause before... all of a sudden, the penny dropped. 'Wait a minute... don't say...' David pointed his left index finger at Agnes. 'It's not... Buck Rogers in there?' he spat.

Agnes just managed a nod. Without another word, David sped towards the door; she raised both hands in desperation, almost menacingly, and gasped: 'No, Mr. Addison, _don't_!'

The joke was over. David demanded in a low, determined voice: 'Get out of my way, Agnes. _Now_.'

Agnes was surprised by her own chutzpe, but she had no choice. She pushed him back again and raised her voice bravely. 'Will you just use your brain for _one_ minute!'

David was so completely taken aback by Agnes's bold behavior, that he was left speechless; after a pause, he spoke up, almost pleading: 'Agnes, the last time spaceman showed up, I almost lost her.'

She put her hands to her hips and replied dryly: 'True, but _you_ contributed to that situation.'

_Bang!_ His jaw dropped, and there was nothing he could possibly say to object. 'Agnes...'

'Mr. Addison,' she interrupted firmly, 'I might not be the brightest bulb in the luster, but have I ever given you bad advice about Miss Hayes?' She raised her chin and looked at him in a bossy, un-DiPesto-ish way.

For a moment, the room was filled with utter silence. David mulled over what she had said. In fact, she had _never_ given him bad advice. After a pause, he finally asked: 'So, what's your point?'

'She can handle this by herself.' Agnes claimed.

'Handle it by herself?' David echoed. 'If I had let her handle it by herself the last time, she'd...' suddenly, David fell silent. _Yes, what would have happened? She'd have sent Sam away._

Agnes interrupted his thoughts by putting her hands on his shoulders, shaking him. 'Mr. Addison, a little more confidence!' she demanded fiercely and added: 'Where's your Dale Carnegie?' That made him smile involuntarily. 'After all that has happened, do you really think she climbs the _Enterprise_ just like that?' Agnes snapped her fingers before his eyes and made him blink.

He ruffled his hair again in his typical boyish gesture. 'So... what am I gonna do?'

'Leave it up to her,' Agnes said with utter conviction in her voice. 'She should do that alone. So there can be definitely no doubt that this is 100 % her decision. And, Mr. Addison – we both know what her decision will be.'

After a short inner fight David sighed and gave in. 'Okay then. But you...'

Agnes nodded eagerly. 'I'll buzz you as soon as Buzz Aldrin has buzzed off.'

David nodded too, slowly. When Agnes saw he was going to stay there and wait, she finally turned around and grabbed the doorknob.

'Agnes?'

She turned around again. 'Mr. Addison?'

He smiled and touched two fingers to his lips. 'Just to stay in the metaphor... you're stellar.'

* * *

><p>Maddie entered David's office with sleeping Davey in her arm; she was smiling a very tiny, far away smile. It had felt like a weight she hadn't even remembered carrying had been lifted off her shoulders when Sam Crawford had walked out of her office. She had heard the door of the outer office being slammed, and she was quite sure that Agnes had been the culprit there. It amazed her every time how fiercely La Dolce DiPesto fought for and defended her and David's relationship against all odds and intruders.<p>

David was standing in the middle of the room, his hands thrust deeply in the pockets of his pants, as if he had been expecting her. From the way he was looking at her, Maddie could tell he was somehow tense, she could feel it. She wondered what the matter was and truly hoped he hadn't fought with his brother. She smiled tentatively.

'David! You're already here! What about your lunch with Richard?'

He shrugged. 'Well, you know Richie. He's always got something to fuss about.'

Maddie walked up to him and kissed him on the lips. 'He'll be a good best man. Don't worry.'

David put his left hand to the back of her head and kissed her back; then he gently touched the sleeping baby's cheek. 'Well... Rich and _best man_ is a contradiction in itself.' Maddie rolled her eyes. He cleared his throat and motioned to their son. 'Did you just change Junior?'

She looked down on the baby and slowly shook her head. 'No. I just wanted someone to meet him.' She put the baby carefully back in his crib; as usual he didn't wake up. David was scrutinizing her.

'Oh,' he made and paused for a second, 'someone I know?'

'It was Sam,' Maddie replied in a firm voice. No hesitation in it.

'Sam?' David echoed. 'Sam as in...?'

'Crawford,' Maddie said quickly and looked him directly in the eyes. 'Sam Crawford.'

David nodded slowly, nonchalantly. 'Oh. And he just... happened to be in town and wanted to refresh an old friendship?' Despite trying to avoid it, David couldn't help the tinge of sarcasm in his voice. He tried to play it light though – Maddie hadn't seen the real extent of Sam's double-faced behavior when he had visited the last time, and the last thing David wanted was to look bad by sounding mean, talking mean about an old friend of hers.

Maddie covered the sleeping baby with the blue blanket. 'No, not exactly,' she explained. 'Basically, he wanted to see that we...' – she raised her head and looked David directly in the eyes – 'collided and sunk.'

David raised his eyebrows questioningly, surprised by the obvious hard edge to her voice. She didn't sound as if she was talking fondly about an old friend who had come by to say hi.

She went on: 'He wanted to say _I told you so_.' David scrutinized her in his typical David-silence; he noticed that she looked somehow disappointed, unbelieving, angry – but he was not the subject of that anger, he realized this with a stupid kind of relief – after all, she didn't have the slightest reason to be mad at him. She added thoughtfully: 'He wanted to see if I had smartened up enough to choose him.'

It cost every inch of David's self-control to remain calm, motionless at this revelation of arrogance; the muscles of his jawbones tightened, and his hands closed to fists, all by themselves. He pressed through clenched teeth: 'That's what he said?'

Maddie nodded. 'Kind of.'

'Kind of?' he repeated and took a deep breath. 'And you _kind of_ replied... what?'

This time Maddie shrugged. 'That of course any woman with a functional brain would be a fool _not_ to choose him.'

He sourly pursed his lips. 'Is that so.'

Maddie's lips slowly curved into a teasing little smile. 'That _is _so.'

David was still scrutinizing her closely, searching her face. Of course, he knew that she loved him, but deep deep down, in a faraway corner of his mind, that little tinge of fear was always lurking; that fear that, presented with an alternative, Maddie might still come to the conclusion that he wasn't good enough for her, that he just wasn't the man she was _supposed to be with_. But here she was – for the second time (obviously) she had let Sam Crawford go and turned to him. He drew a deep breath and asked quietly, lightly, almost in a joking tone: 'Well... then how come you're not running after him this very moment, mastermind?'

Maddie's reply was serious, honest; she hadn't expected how much it would still affect him, not after what they had gone through, what they had _become_ over the last few months. 'Because my choice was made a long time ago, stupid.' Her eyes twinkled. 'Because these kinda choices are not made with the brain. They form in a region far south of it.' She put her right hand over her heart and smiled at him, openly, lovingly.

David's heart leaped, and he returned his crooked grin, stunned by his girl. 'Is that so?'

'That _is_ so,' she confirmed. 'And, besides – I happen to be a fool.' She took one step closer in his direction. 'A fool for you.'

He swallowed hard, clearly touched by her words. Although she opened up to him a lot more now, she still wasn't too fond of admitting her weakness to him. She _never_ would. 'A fool, huh?'

She nodded again and took another step. 'Hopeless. Defenseless.' The following words were almost whispered. 'Beyond any measure and reason.'

There was no point in holding back any longer. She had just told him she was his, and no space cowboy could ever change that. David reached out for her and pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her hair. Maddie closed her eyes and pressed herself deeper into his embrace. 'Welcome to the club,' he whispered into her hair.

She pulled back a few inches, so she could look directly into his green eyes. 'You know,' she said, 'I was never so fond of Luke Skywalker... I found him boring.'

David's hands rested possessively on Maddie's waist. 'You did?'

'I did.' she winked at him. 'I was always more the Han Solo kind of girl.'


	2. Hard To Handle

_**Smoke And Mirrors**_

_**Chapter 2 Hard To Handle**_

The next day, after having had lunch at the office, David busied himself with his son, obviously oblivious to everything around him. Maddie watched "her guys" for a few minutes, totally unnoticed by both, full of affection and a sensation of utter happiness she still wasn't completely used to feeling. Then, lightly, she shook her head to cast off those pleasurable spiderwebs and get back to reality.

'David,' she said, 'you should go now... they will be landing soon!'

He didn't take his eyes off the baby. 'What, invasion from outer space _again?_'

Maddie rolled her eyes. 'You don't have to go that far,' she replied dryly, 'just invasion from Philadelphia. Your dad and his wife.'

David snorted and tucked his son into his crib, grumbling to himself. 'Why don't I just put up a tent at the airport and sleep right there?'

She knew that he wasn't a fan of the idea of a big Hayes/Addison family get-together and decided he needed a little cheering-up. Suppressing a smile, she smoothly answered, 'Because your presence is required in our bedroom.'

David raised his head to face her. 'It is?' he asked, an amused crinkle around his eyes. How much she loved those laugh lines; and his face had plenty. She surrendered and let her smile spread slowly over her features.

'You know perfectly well it is,' she said good-humored and at ease with herself. 'You know it and I know it,' she added in a light, but meaningful tone, 'and I really wouldn't have to say anything but I said it anyway.'

He smiled his crooked grin, knowing perfectly well what she was hinting at. 'I'm impressed,' he replied and strode over to her. 'Big mistake, though. You know I won't let you forget you said that.'

She sighed and shrugged in defeat. 'I know...'

He pulled her in to his arms. 'For what it's worth, Blondie,' he remarked, tease in his voice, 'I wouldn't want to sleep anywhere else than beside you.'

She stood on the tips of her toes and kissed him lightly on the lips. 'I _know_, Addison,' she repeated and gave him a soft push. 'Now go!'

David sighed and released her. 'You mood-killer,' he murmured, touched two fingers to his lips and left.

Maddie chuckled softly and shook her head.

* * *

><p>For the third time in the last five days David was at L.A. International, waiting for family members to show up; this time he was picking up his father, David Addison Sr and his new wife, Stephanie (who was about David's age and for some crazy coincidence a former one-night-stand of his). Luckily, his stepmother didn't remember that. Despite her foggy memory, the secret fact added to the slight awkwardness David usually felt when he was around his father. Although he knew the old man loved him and Richie, he always had difficulties in showing his affection to his sons. After their mother had passed away, it hadn't been too easy for the three left-behind Addisons, one big and two small ones, each grieving their loss in their own way.<p>

David sighed when he saw the couple emerge from the crowd of arriving passengers. He had to admit that they somehow looked as if they belonged together. The age gap was clearly visible, but somehow it didn't really matter. Stephanie saw him first, when they still were about ten yards away from him. She beamed, let go of her husband's arm and waved frantically. David smiled feebly and raised his left hand for a reluctant wave back. That was when his father saw him too and nodded, smiling a lopsided half-smile for his younger son and best man.

Stephanie dashed the last few steps to meet David and practically threw herself into his arms. A waft of rose-scented perfume washed over him, but not in an unpleasant way. David, against his will, patted her back and she pulled away again, taking his face in both her hands and planting a totally unerotic smooch on his lips.

'Ah, it's always such a pleasure to see one of my boys,' she exclaimed enthusiastically and wrapped one arm around David's waist. 'Sorry if I sound goofy,' she sputtered, 'but it still blows me off my feet every time I realize that I'm really and truly part of a family with kids now!'

David couldn't help but smile. Stephanie chuckled and shrugged. 'Okay, _big_ kids.' The honest joy and friendliness on her pretty face were simply disarming.

David put an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. 'It's good to see you too, Steph.'

His father was standing before him now, and Stephanie released him from her grip, taking half a step back, so the two men could hug which they did a little clumsily and very briefly.

'Dad.'

'Son.' Addison Sr. patted David's back. 'Looks as if weddings keep bringing us together.'

'Well,' Stephanie threw in firmly and linked arms with both Davids, 'you'll have to find another excuse now, as it seems we'll be running out of weddings.'

Father and son looked at each other; restrained, stunningly alike with their cheeky half-smiles that were suddenly crawling over both faces.

'Guess so...' David said, and his father kissed his wife on the cheek.

'Let's go!'

* * *

><p>'I'd rather go to the opera,' David grumbled, obviously in bad humor, while he was fixing his tie. 'Or, to cap it all off, I'd even rather go to the... <em>symphony!' <em>He emphasized the last word by pursing his lips in disdain.

It was 7 pm, and David Sr. and Stephanie were about to come over to see the baby for the first time, and then there would be a _parents' dinner_ with David, Maddie, Alex and Virginia. David wasn't very keen on this gathering a grand occasion for awkward moments. He was really very fond of Maddie's parents, but he knew that they were used to exquisite little dinner parties and people you'd meet in a country club. His father and his new wife certainly weren't the kind of people you'd meet in a country club. Just like himself, but the Hayes family already knew him by now and didn't mind. In fact, Virginia was as crazy about him as a woman could be about her future son-in-law, and Alex... well, obviously, for some obscure reason, Maddie's father had decided that he was not the worst choice his daughter could have made. But his own father was nothing like Alexander Hayes, and Stephanie... David groaned at the thought of what his future inlaws would think of his (mildly spoken) unorthodox family.

Maddie, who had been watching him sympathetically, shook her head and stepped in to her lavender colored evening pumps that matched her dress. 'Oh come on,' she brought him back from his thoughts, 'it will be great!'

'Yeah, sure, great.' David gave a disgusted snort. 'Ballet...' he murmured and fumbled with his cufflinks.

'David!' she snapped. 'Since when are you so pessimistic?'

'Maddie,' he mimicked her, 'and since when are _you_ such an optimist? I mean, this is just so... white-bread!'

'White-bread?' she echoed.

'Or pancake. Whatever makes your breakfast.' David grabbed the jacket of his graphite grey suit and subconsciously ruffled his hair. 'What are we doing?' he sighed and added theatrically,"Meet the parents" sounds like a weird movie in which I wouldn't be happy to be the leading character.' He paused for a short moment and asked, 'Is this really necessary?'

'Necessary?' Maddie repeated and frowned. 'What do you mean?'

He threw his hands up in desperation. 'Why do we have to spend a whole evening together? I mean, your parents and my... folks don't even know each other! They'd have nothing to say!'

Maddie rolled her eyes. 'Addison, don't be ridiculous. I _know_ they don't know each other that's just the point, that's why we take them out!' She added a little sarcasm on top. 'When are they supposed to meet at the wedding reception?' She put her hands to her hips in a menacing gesture.

David grumbled something unintelligible and busied himself with his lapels, and Maddie, perfectly understanding of why he was feeling awkward, walked over to him and soothed softly, 'Don't worry, David. It's gonna be great.' She was standing in front of him now and put her hands on his shoulders. He raised his gaze and fixed it on her face. 'Your dad is great,' she declared which raised a reluctant, crooked little smile from him. 'And Stephanie...' she added and shrugged graciously. 'Well, it might be odd, but I like her too.' She smoothed out his lapels by simply running her palms slowly downwards over them, more a caress of his chest underneath the fabric than anything else, and lowered her voice a nuance, giving it a seductive timbre. 'And besides... I love it when you dress up.'

Forgetting his lousy mood, he smirked. This was his water in the desert. 'You love it when I _undress_,' he purred. 'You love it when I undress _you_, I might add.'

Maddie's expression froze, and she took two steps back from him. 'Maybe it's indeed better if we spare us all the pleasure of David Addison's wits,' she remarked icily, 'and I'm _not_ speaking of the Senior!'

David raised his hands in defense. 'Hey, don't blame me, Blondie,' he claimed. 'The line you threw asked for it, and you know it.'

'Get ready,' Maddie snapped in a sour voice, turned around on her heel and left the room. Although, as soon as she had closed the door behind her, a secret little smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. 'Of course I know it,' she murmured, rather pleased with herself.

When she passed by the nursery on her way downstairs, she popped her head in carefully; in the faint glow of the nightlight she could see that Davey was fast asleep and breathing steadily, calmly. She smiled to herself and sped downstairs when she heard the doorbell ring. She opened the door and found a smiling Agnes waiting outside.

'Agnes!' she exclaimed brightly. 'It's so great you're here. Please, come in!'

'Thanks,' Agnes replied with her typical shy-but-friendly Agnes-smile and stepped into the hall. 'Oh I'm so happy you asked me, Miss Hayes. This is such an honor.'

'Oh please,' Maddie put her off, 'we couldn't think of anybody else we'd trust with babysitting.'

Agnes beamed and looked past Maddie, searching for the baby. 'He's asleep,' Maddie explained. 'Usually he should wake up in about,' she checked her watch, 'about two hours. He'll need to be changed and fed; there's supply in the fridge, the bottle's already prepared, you just have to warm it up.'

'You can rely on me,' Agnes solemnly declared and put her hand over her heart.

Maddie patted her arm. 'I know that, Agnes. Dinner for you is in the fridge too, my mother made some...' she was interrupted by the doorbell, frowned and looked at her watch again. 'Looks like the Addisons are over-punctual...' she opened the door and, much to her surprise, found her future brother-in-law outside. 'Richard?' she exclaimed, slightly puzzled.

He grinned and shrugged, and at that moment Maddie saw David in him, just a few inches taller and without oozing that weakening effect on her knees. 'Hey,' he said in his deep voice, 'I just thought I'd drop by to spend some time with my nephew and say hi to the crowd. If you're okay with it.'

'Of course I am!' Maddie smiled, grabbed his arm and pulled him in, greeting him with a hug.

'Hi, Agnes,' he said over Maddie's shoulder, and Agnes just replied with a smile and a short wave.

'What are _you_ doing here?' David's voice was heard from behind as he sped down the spiral staircase.

'Good to see you too, bro,' Richie replied dryly, and David snorted.

Maddie slapped him on the arm. 'What's wrong with you, Addison? Richard just came by to say hello to everybody and spend some time with Davey.' She turned to Richie again. 'He's asleep, though.'

David turned to Agnes and pointed his left index finger at her like a gun. 'You won't let him approach the kid further than five feet,' he ordered. 'In fact, you might have to babysit him too.'

'Dork,' Richie snarled and Maddie rolled her eyes. The doorbell rang again.

'More arrivals than in Grand Central,' David commented and opened the door. This time his father and Stephanie were standing outside the door. She wore only a little make-up, but this seemed to bring out even more of the inherent gleam of her naturally pretty face.

After the multilateral greetings were over, David Sr. rubbed his hands. 'So,' he said, 'where is my grandson? I'm dying to see him!'

Despite the slight pressure he still felt about the coming evening, David smiled and nodded towards the staircase. 'Upstairs. He's asleep, though.' He saw his father hesitate and added, 'C'mon, dad. Say hi to him.'

Maddie smiled as she watched father and son climb the stairs, then she asked Stephanie, 'Don't you want to join them?'

Stephanie shook her head. 'I'll see the little one tomorrow. I think our guys should take that minute alone.'

Maddie was taken aback by Stephanie's instinct, one which, oddly enough, she hadn't expected given her past with David (but then, you could hardly call it a past). She had liked her from the beginning but had always thought she was a little bit... well, simpler minded; obviously she had underestimated her. Maddie apologized quietly. It took only a few minutes for the two Davids to come downstairs again, but she noticed that both men had that positively strained look on their faces, as if they tried not to show their emotions, but inside were dying to because they were happy ones.

Stephanie took her husband's arm. 'You like the little one, honey?' she asked, much softness in her voice. David Sr. just smiled and nodded.

Maddie reached for David's hand and whispered into his ear, 'What did he say?'

'Not much,' David whispered back, but she could see the hidden smile in his eyes. She squeezed his hand.

'So, Maddie,' David Sr. said, rubbing his hands. 'And where are your parents? I can't wait to meet them!'

David hung down his head in despair. 'My kind of a fun evening,' he muttered hopelessly.

* * *

><p>Alex and Virginia came out of the guest room and just saw the backs of David and his father descend the spiral staircase. They closed the door behind them, and Alex threw a glace downstairs, catching sight of Stephanie.<p>

'Is _that_ David's stepmother?' he asked his wife with an indignantly raised eyebrow.

'Obviously,' Virginia replied in a hushed voice and headed for the stairs. Alex held her gently back by the wrist.

'Looks more like a sister to me,' he murmured, and Virginia threw him a very severe look.

'Alexander Hayes,' she hissed very quietly, 'I don't want to hear any _odd_ comments on her age from you!'

He raised both hands. 'No, no,' he assured hastily, 'I was just saying. Just saying.' Virginia's eyes narrowed, and he added quickly, 'No odd comments. No comments at all.'

She drew a deep breath that could have been mistaken for a snort and straightened her back. When she finally started to descend the stairs, her husband followed a few steps behind her. David saw her coming and extended his hand with a smile. Not for the first time she thought: _what an excellent pick you made, Maddie, _and gladly took his hand. He lead her to where the family group were waiting to meet them.

'Virginia,' he said, 'this is my father, David Addison Sr. and his wife, Stephanie. Dad, Steph... this is Maddie's mother.'

Virginia extended her hand, and Stephanie took it with just the right amount of firmness. 'Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Hayes,' she smiled.

'Virginia, please,' she replied. 'I think we could keep this on a first name basis as we're practically almost family, right?'

Stephanie nodded. 'Sure, I'd like that.'

Virginia shook hands with David's father who briefly nodded his head. 'Virginia, what a pleasure. I can see where your daughter got her beauty from.'

'Oh, you're too sweet,' a sideways glance to David, 'and I can see where your son got his charm from.'

Alex had stepped up behind her and entered the round to greet the Addisons. Virginia kept an eye on him and was satisfied; a firm handshake with David Sr. and a few charming words to Stephanie. She was looking forward to the evening.

* * *

><p>David was slowly relaxing. The evening wasn't going bad; in fact, it was a quite pleasurable atmosphere. Everybody got along well, and Maddie's parents didn't seem to find anything strange or debatable about his father or his wife. He smiled to himself. Well, somehow it was impossible not to like Stephanie, and he knew that Virginia was a very kind person who seemed to get along with everybody. Alex, on the other hand, was a tough nut to crack, but basically a good-hearted man and a good judge of character. Obviously, Stephanie had won him over.<p>

'Maddie,' she was just saying, 'I've planned an assault on you.'

'An assault?' Maddie repeated with a light smile.

'Yeah,' Stephanie nodded. 'Dave told me I was stupid, but I thought hey, we're going to L.A., where else can I find a pretty dress for your wedding?' She paused momentarily, and Maddie wasn't quite sure what she was up to, but then she went on, 'Would you go shopping for a dress with me tomorrow? We could have, I don't know, lunch together and then you take me to the best place?'

Maddie was taken aback for a moment, and her mother exclaimed, 'But that would be great, dear, wouldn't it? And David could spend some time with his father and the little one, of course.'

By then, Maddie had regained her composure and said quickly, 'Well, sure... I think I know a few places where it shouldn't be a problem to find something nice.'

'Oh wonderful,' Stephanie beamed, 'thank you. I knew I could count on you.'

Maddie didn't reply but smiled down at her plate. From under her lashes, she threw a sideways glance at David who didn't seem too thrilled with the thought. Discreetly, she touched her knee against his under the table, and when he looked at her, she gave him a knowing and reassuring smile.

Virginia's antennae had sensed some unexplainable touch of awkwardness, and she quickly picked up the conversation again and said to David Sr., 'Let me say that we liked David already right from the beginning, when we first met him!' She turned to her husband. 'Isn't that right, darling?'

Alex cleared his throat. 'Well... uhm... yes.'

Maddie could see that David was shifting uneasily on his seat. 'Well, I didn't,' she interjected quickly and as dryly as if there had been some tense vibes in the air, they dissolved in the laughter that followed and that all shared. David threw her a thankful look with a smile in the corners of his green eyes only she could understand. She winked at him and added, 'Obviously, I've changed my mind.' They laughed again.

'I'm happy to hear that,' said David's father, patting him on the back. 'It's good for a father to know he didn't do too bad a job raising his sons alone.'

'Oh, that must have been very hard for you,' Virginia remarked sympathetically and added with a smile in Stephanie's direction, 'It's wonderful you're not alone anymore.'

David Sr. took his young wife's hand and gave her a fond look. 'Yeah, I know I'm lucky.'

Stephanie squeezed his hand, returned the look and plainly replied, 'We both are, honey.' There was nothing special about how she had said those words, but the moment Alex and Virginia saw the expression on her face when she looked at her husband, they simply knew that she was far from being a gold digger.

Alex raised his glass. 'To three lucky and happy couples!' he toasted.

The six of them touched their glasses with a jovial clink. When they placed them back on the table, David Sr. said to Alex, 'Well, our home lacked the hand of a woman... but you were very lucky, having not only one, but _two_ gorgeous women around!'

Virginia and Maddie exchanged delighted smiles, at the same time pleased with the compliment and satisfied that things seemed to be going really well.

'I was,' Alex confirmed, 'and although some may think it's not easy being in the male minority, I will say that it was much harder for my wife, given that my daughter and I share the same trait of... hmm, how shall I put it...'

'Stubbornness is the word you're looking for, dear,' Virginia chimed in graciously, and again, the whole bunch laughed in unison.

'Mom!' Maddie complained, blushing, and David Sr. shook his head.

'Your daughter, Alex? She always seemed very sweet to me, from the first moment I met her!' Maddie smiled at him, and he added, 'How could she ever be stubborn?'

'She can,' David blurted out, 'believe me, dad.' Maddie took a deep breath to say something, but fell silent when David shrugged and added'Wouldn't want her any other way.'

The three Hayes family members and the three Addisons laughed again, in a very hearty, conspiratorial way.

* * *

><p>Maddie and Virginia waved when the cab with David Sr. and Stephanie pulled away. Stephanie waved back, and Maddie could see her smile. She was still feeling ambivalent about her lunch-and-shopping meeting with David's stepmother and ex-one-night-stand; especially that last thing made her feel slightly awkward but on the other hand, Stephanie really seemed to be very open, natural and simply good-hearted.<p>

'Your father is a very nice man, David,' Virginia remarked. 'I can see now where your charm comes from.'

David smiled his half-smile. 'Thanks,' he replied in a fond, warm voice and winked at his future mother-in-law.

Maddie's father cleared his throat. 'They both seem to be quite all right,' he said in stiff but in no way unfriendly tone. He then opened the backseat door for his wife.

'See?' Maddie murmured to David as her parents climbed into the back of the car. 'Told you.'

'Yeah,' he agreed, nodding thoughtfully. 'That didn't go too badly.'

She smiled. 'I'm glad your good mood is back. I'm not used to you being grumpy.'

David snapped his fingers nonchalantly. 'I have many facets, Blondie... you've only scratched the surface!'

'That's exactly what I'm afraid of,' Maddie replied dryly and walked over to the passenger door, with David following at her heels. He put his arm around her shoulder and led her around the car while singing softly:

_'Baby here I am_

_I'm the man on the scene...'_

Involuntarily, she chuckled. 'Addison, you're _so_ modest, as always...' she murmured, feigning a little indignation.

He placed his left hand lightly on the lower end of her spine (which she markedly felt in the form of a hotspot just beneath the fabric of her light summer coat and lavender cocktail dress) when he opened the passenger door for her, and hummed on, only audible for her:

_'I can give you what you want_

_But you gotta come home with me...'_

Maddie shook her head and giggled like a girl when David shut the passenger door. His mood was way better than at the beginning of the evening. The meeting of the parents had indeed gone surprisingly well, Alex and Virginia's remarks just now had shown him that, and the woman of his dreams was indeed _coming home with him_. He smiled a crooked grin to himself, went over to the driver's door with spring in his step, and sang on in a low voice, for his own amusement:

_'I have got some good old lovin'_

_And I have some mo' in store_

_When I get through throwin' it on you_

_You're gonna come back for more...'_

* * *

><p>When the four of them got home, they found a tired-looking Agnes on the couch in the living-room, reading a magazine. She got up to her feet and greeted them.<p>

'I hope you had a wonderful evening,' she smiled, and Maddie replied:

'Yes, it was a pleasure, Agnes. Did everything go well here?'

Agnes nodded. 'He woke up like you said, I changed his diapers, fed him and laid him down again. No problems. He's the sweetest baby I know.' She smiled dreamily.

Maddie put a hand on her arm. 'And you're the best babysitter, Agnes. Thank you very much.'

'Oh, please, Miss Hayes! Any time!' she reassured and took her purse which looked more like a gripsack.

'We'll go to straight to bed,' Virginia chimed in. 'Goodnight everybody!' she took Alex' arm, who said good night too, and after everybody had wished _them_ a good night, they climbed the stairs.

Agnes rummaged in her purse for her car keys, when David suddenly remembered that they hadn't left Agnes alone in the house. 'Where's my brother?' he asked suspiciously.

'Oh, he went upstairs to look after the baby.' She smiled. 'He's funny, Mr. Addison.'

'A licensed fool,' David grumbled and turned to the spiral staircase. 'I'd better check he doesn't teach Junior any stupid stuff.'

'You want that privilege for yourself, huh?' Maddie interjected dryly.

David just waved over his shoulder as he sped upstairs. 'Night, Agnes.'

Upstairs, he found the door of the guest bedroom had already closed behind Alex and Virginia whereas the door of the nursery wasn't; a soft light shone through the crack. While David was approaching the door, he could hear his brother's voice and frowned slightly. He pushed the door open, but quietly in case the baby was asleep, he didn't want to wake him up. The scenario he saw surprised him.

His brother was sitting beside little Davey's crib, right on the chair where David usually sat when he sang his lullaby to his son. The baby's eyes were sleepy, but half-open and fixed on his uncle's face. Richie hadn't noticed David in the doorway; he continued to talk to his little nephew in a very low voice.

'Hey buddy,' he was just telling him, 'you know, you're really lucky with that dad of yours whenever you're in trouble don't hesitate to run to him, he won't ever let you down, he'll be there for you.' David hadn't expected this, but on the other hand he was quite pleased to hear his older brother speak so appreciatively about him. After a short pause, Richie added in a thoughtful voice, 'He was always there for _me _when I was in trouble, and boy, your old Uncle Rich was often in trouble...' His voice trailed off.

David cleared his throat softly and entered the room; Richie's head spun around. 'Hey bro!' he said, slightly embarrassed. David pretended not to have overheard what his brother had told his little nephew.

'Hey,' David replied with a crooked little smile which was answered with a rather similar one by Richie.

The older one was rising from the chair beside the crib. 'Yo Dave, you been eavesdropping on me and the little man?'

David shrugged nonchalantly. 'Hey, I need to make sure you don't tell him any crazy stories about me yet!' Richie gave a defiant little snort.

David took a few steps forward, and for a moment the two brothers stood side by side beside the crib and were watching the baby who had already fallen asleep again. After a significant pause, Richie cleared his throat and took a step back, breaking the brotherly moment and leaving David alone by his son's side.

'Hey,' he whispered, and David turned his head halfway around. Richie slapped him on the back. 'Good job, man. Well done.'

David opened his mouth, but before he could answer anything, Richie quietly slipped out of the room. David slightly shook his head and smiled.

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later, after she had checked on little Davey, Maddie softly closed the bedroom door behind her. She was smiling to herself when she stepped out of her pumps.<p>

'That was sweet,' she remarked.

David, who had been fumbling to remove his cufflinks, looked up and frowned slightly. 'What was sweet?' he asked.

'Richard,' she explained. 'Wasn't it sweet that he came over to help babysit?'

'Oh, just an excuse to spend an evening in a million-dollar-house,' he shrugged, and Maddie laughed at him.

'Don't bother, Addison,' she told him, 'I know you love him.'

David grumbled something unintelligible and became impatient with his stubborn cufflinks. Maddie shook her head and walked over to him. 'Stop this!' she told him firmly and started to remove them with expert fingers. David was watching her serious concentration with a smile on his face. Maddie had gotten rid of the little things in no time and put them on the bedside table, then she turned around to David again and put both hands on his chest, leaning slightly into him.

'So, _man on the scene -_ I came home with you,' she stated in an unexpectedly flirtatious voice, 'now what have you got for me?' In her blue eyes David was pleased to see a mischievous twinkle.

He put his hands around her waist and allowed them to lightly rest there, he then bent his head slightly towards her as if leaning in for a kiss, and, almost automatically, she half-closed her eyes. Instead of kissing her, however, David brought his mouth near her left ear and started to sing in a very low voice:

_'I have got some good old lovin' _

_And I have some mo' in store_

_When I get through throwin' it on you _

_You're gonna come back for more...'_

Maddie tried rather unsuccessfully to suppress a smile and a shiver and slapped him on the shoulder. 'Don't be too sure of yourself!'

David pulled an innocent face. 'Why, you _always _came back for more!'

She pointed a severe finger at him. 'Yeah, so do you, soul man!'

'_Soul man?_' David repeated, bewildered. 'Gee, you're losing your grip, Blondie... is _that_ what you consider name calling? Seriously?'

'I admit, I'm distracted,' Maddie replied. 'Aren't we getting off the point?'

David revealed an amused glint in his eyes. 'And the point was...?' his voice had a clearly mocking melody and his eyes, playfully, looked downwards at what he knew she wanted and then back to her.

'You were about to throw something at me,' she reminded him, with the faintest tinge of impatience in her voice now.

David couldn't resist. 'Ah yes... do you notice the irony by the way?'

Maddie gave an annoyed snort. 'Honestly, I'm not in the mood for an analysis of rhetorical devices,' she snapped and turned around briskly, starting to walk away.

'Me neither!' David smoothly agreed, reached out quickly to grab her by the elbow and whirled her around again. When she almost stumbled, he caught her firmly in his arms and, despite her half-hearted grumbling, he started to sing huskily:

_'Pretty little thing, let me light your candle _

_'cause mama I'm sure hard to handle...'_

His face approached hers again, and this time he didn't tilt his head. Before their lips finally touched, Maddie smiled saucily and whispered, 'I'll be the judge of that...'

* * *

><p>Later, Maddie and David were wrapped up in each other's arms, listening to their slowly downshifting heartbeats; they were feeling totally at home in this time and place; almost drifting off. Just before succumbing to sleep, Maddie opened her eyes with enormous effort, a smile playing around the corners of her mouth. When she finally found the energy to speak, her voice sounded thick with both sleepiness and the rush of emotions she just had experienced.<p>

'Hard to handle, huh?' she asked in an amused voice.

David didn't bother to open his eyes; he laughed a big, warm, throaty laugh, bubbling up from deep within. 'I know,' he purred, 'nothing but putty in your hands, Blondie.'

* * *

><p><em><span>Song<span>_:

_Hard To Handle_ Otis Redding


	3. Laugh A Little, Cry A Little

_**Smoke And Mirrors **_

_**Chapter 3: Laugh a Little, Cry a Little**_

The next day, around noon, David's father and Stephanie appeared at Blue Moon and, after a short hello, Maddie and Stephanie left the office for their lunch-and-shopping spree. Deep down, David was not too happy to see them go off together like this; he wasn't sure if he wanted them sharing intimate girls' talk (Maddie was not usually one for gossiping but this situation was unusual). He hadn't been 100 % honest with Maddie about his encounter with Stephanie all those years ago, and he now found himself feeling ambivalent about her finding out the truth. But there was nothing he could do right now – he would have to deal with it later, whatever _it_ would be. Now his son _and_ his father wanted his attention. _Great_.

'So,' David Sr. said with enthusiasm, 'it will be the three of us for lunch? David Addison Sr., Jr. and Tiny?'

David chuckled, relaxing for a moment. 'Tiny?' he echoed. 'Sounds like a mobster's name!'

The Senior shrugged. 'Well, obviously _this_ little gangster is wanted for stealing just about everybody's heart from New York State to California.'

'David nodded almost solemnly. 'That he surely is. Well, I'll just grab his things, and then we can go!' He turned towards his office door where Junior was waiting in his crib; his father followed him closely, attentive.

'Let me help you,' he insisted, and when David started to object, he added: 'And, besides, I want to give you something.'

David raised a questioning eyebrow when he had closed the office door behind them. That was the moment when he noticed the small white cardboard box that his father had been carrying. He handed it to him and David took it suspiciously.

'What's this, dad?' he asked, shaking the box a little, feeling its weight.

'It's a little something I brought along for the little one.' He waved his hands in encouragement when he saw David staring at him in surprise. 'Go on, open it.'

'Okay.' David looked down at the box, wondering what could be inside and why his father had chosen this moment to hand it over to him. He lifted the lid and folded back the wrapping paper that was covering its content. He saw white fabric, obviously it must be a tiny piece of baby clothing. He took it out and unfolded it: it was a small sized t-shirt. It took David a few seconds to connect the memories (from so long ago that they were buried in a very faraway corner of his mind) and recognize it. The tiny white shirt had a black and orange symbol printed on its middle, and it revealed a stylized bird's wing. It was the team symbol of his hometown hockey team, the Philadelphia Flyers. David's father was scrutinizing him slowly, eagerly awaiting his reaction. Unusually for David, it took him another few seconds before he found his voice in order to speak.

'Wow dad, this is... it's really...' his voice sounded funny, and he looked down at the tiny shirt in his hands again. He finally cleared his throat and looked up. 'But you really didn't have to...'

His father frowned. 'Hey, what are you talking about, son? I'm his granddad, right?'

'Sure you are, dad. I'm just saying that...'

His father silenced David by raising his hands in an almost pleading gesture. 'Listen, son. I know I wasn't the best father...' David opened his mouth, but his father went on quickly, before he could say something: 'There's no use in denying that, and I know I can't change it. But I can try and make it better with my grandson.' David looked down at the shirt again and felt his eyes grow misty. 'I mean, I can be close even if I'm not living round the corner, right?'

David nodded silently.

His father shrugged. 'I thought he should have something to connect him with his dad's background. I remember,' he went on with a lop-sided smile, 'how you loved to watch their games on TV with Richie.'

A very similar smile curled the corners of David's lips. 'You remember that...' he murmured absentmindedly.

'Course I do!' his father frowned. 'Why wouldn't I? All your friends, the ones you guys were running around with on the streets, always rooted for The Phillies.' He shook his head. 'Not my sons, no sir. You have both always been Flyers, with heart and soul.'

David nodded, still looking at the shirt. Childhood memories crossed his mind; he had almost forgotten those times, but his father hadn't. Yes, he and Richie had even played hockey in the streets. Obviously, he had never really completely forgotten about that, because wherever his life had brought him since he had left home, he had always kept a hockey stick somewhere, under his bed or, here in L.A., even in his office. The memory of the last occasion he had used a hockey stick struck him out of nowhere; he had been in mad despair, and it hadn't ended well for his office furniture. But the thought left him only with a faint, very old and very blurred sensation of pain from a wound inflicted a long time ago. He swallowed and lifted the shirt with both hands. 'This is really great, dad. I can't wait for Junior to grow up, so I can take him to see a game.'

David Addison Sr. cleared his throat. 'I hope you don't mind me saying this, but... I'm very proud of you, son. You'll make a terrific dad. You already are.'

Father and son looked at each other for a long moment, which was about to turn into a slightly awkward one, when David made a barely perceptible move towards his father. That was all the older one needed, and both men hugged, a little clumsily, but nevertheless cordially, patting backs heartily. Both blinked heavily and busied themselves with some random stuff that allowed them to look away from each other. But both smiled to themselves, thinking _Yes._

From behind them, Davey giggled.

Before starting their shopping spree, Maddie had taken Stephanie to her favorite Italian restaurant where they were enjoying a light lunch . Maddie had many boutiques planned on the afternoon's busy itinerary, but she found herself taking time over the meal as she was finding it quite pleasurable to talk to the pretty brunette. She couldn't understand why (as she didn't really know her), but she felt surprisingly at ease in Stephanie's company.

'Tell me, Maddie,' Stephanie was just saying, 'are you nervous?'

'Am I nervous?' Maddie put her fork down and tapped her right index finger lightly to her chin, thinking. 'Hmm... partly, yes.' She frowned, trying to find the right words to express how she felt. 'Then again... there's nothing that would really change anything between David and me.'

Stephanie nodded slowly. 'I know what you mean... I felt the same about Dave and me.' She shrugged. 'Our wedding was beautiful, but it was just the last formal step.' She took a sip from her water glass. 'You two...' she scrutinized Maddie closely, 'have I got this right, you two weren't together then?'

Maddie shook her head. 'No, we were not. Well, I mean, not quite. I mean...' she felt she was stumbling over her own words and stopped, helplessly.

Stephanie smiled. 'You mean – it was complicated.'

Maddie returned the smile and felt somehow relieved. Obviously, the other woman didn't expect an explanation from her. 'Yes. No. I mean, it _was_. Now it's simple.' She smiled only to herself for a moment when she heard David's voice in her head: _simple as that._

'Not easy, though,' Stephanie remarked.

Maddie laughed in a conspiratorial way. 'Is it ever?'

Stephanie's brown eyes twinkled warmly when she laughed back. 'Never.'

Maddie picked up her fork again. 'Well, I guess... there are ghosts in everybody's past that haunt us from time to time...'

David's stepmother gave her an open look. 'Only if you let them. My past is a part of my history, but...' she shrugged so lightly as if she never had felt any weight pressing down on her shoulders. 'Well, it's – past.' She smiled again. 'I'm glad David saw it that way too. _Your_ David, I mean. It was very generous of him to welcome me to his family like that.'

Maddie frowned. 'Generous?' she echoed and cleared her throat. 'Well, he hardly had the right to morally judge...'

'Well, I would have understood if he'd have tried to talk his father out of it,' Stephanie explained.

Maddie could hardly believe that she was thankful to David for welcoming _her_ into _his_ family, as if she'd been a shameless sinner and he a saint.

'But it's not that Dave – my Dave – hadn't the slightest idea about my past,' Stephanie went on and added: 'He knew pretty much all of it.'

'He did?' Maddie asked incredulously.

'Of course,' Stephanie confirmed. 'I was honest. Besides – he had seen a few things anyway...'

Maddie's ice blue eyes widened in disbelief. 'He _had_?' Was she telling her that David's father actually knew about the one-night-stand his wife had had with his son in their wild past?

Stephanie shrugged again. 'That night, I had drunk a lot when I met him...'

Maddie let out an involuntary little groan and raised her hands. 'Listen, Stephanie, you really don't have to explain...'

'Irony is,' Stephanie interrupted, 'it was probably the best decision of my life to get senselessly drunk that night. Otherwise he might probably never have rescued me.'

'_Rescued_ you?' Maddie echoed. _This is getting weird._

'From myself, mostly.' Stephanie nodded. 'Already when he took me home safely and took care of me, where any other man probably would have taken advantage of the situation, I knew he was special.' she sighed almost dreamily. 'And when he called me the next day to see if I was alright...' she let her voice trail off.

'He did what?' Maddie let her fork sink again and bent forward not to miss any word. '_David_ did that?'

Stephanie was a bit puzzled about Maddie's strong reaction. 'Yes, that's how we met,' she confirmed. 'And pretty much why I fell in love with him.'

'Oooooh...' Maddie felt very silly. 'You were talking about _your_ David, weren't you?'

'Why, yes!' Stephanie's eyes popped open. 'Oh wait, you thought I was talking about your David?' She put her right hand on her chest, a gesture that could have looked overly dramatic, but on Stephanie it looked completely sincere. 'No, by no means!' she exclaimed and took Maddie totally by surprise when she said: 'I only met _him_ when I married his dad! Although...'

_Why was she saying that? _'Although?' Maddie repeated.

Stephanie gave a little laugh. 'Although, theoretically it's possible that I have met him. Theoretically, it was even possible that we...' she fell silent, and the smile froze a little on her face, turning into an embarrassed blush. 'But that's really not the kind of issue that you talk about two days before you are going to become my... what? Stepdaughter-in-law?' She paused, still smiling and observing Maddie thoroughly, looking for a reaction, obviously hoping she hadn't shocked her.

And that was the moment when Maddie realized that Stephanie had gone completely blank about the time she had spent with David – and that David hadn't mentioned it to her when he had interrupted her wedding to talk to her about their encounter. Obviously, Stephanie didn't remember her one-night-stand with her stepson at all – and that was a blessing for everybody. Suddenly, Maddie realized that Stephanie would never have married David Sr., had she remembered how intimate she had once been with one of her stepsons. Stephanie was still looking at her, and she could read the question on her face. Maddie felt a wave of affection for the other woman roll over her, and she smiled at her.

'Something like that, I guess...' she said, nodding slowly.

Stephanie seemed to let out a little breath of relief and raised her water glass. 'I don't know you yet, Maddie, but I do have a feeling that the two of us won't ever be the reason for a family feud.'

'Yeah, me too...'

'So...' – she moved her glass towards Maddie's – 'here's to the second Mrs. David Addison... we are two lucky girls, aren't we?'

'We are,' Maddie confirmed wholeheartedly, 'but I'm afraid I won't be a Mrs. David Addison.'

'You won't? Oh, you mean you're keeping your name?'

Maddie nodded, but somehow, suddenly it didn't feel right. She ignored that odd feeling. 'Just for business reasons...' she explained. 'My name's well-known.'

Stephanie waved her hand in a dismissive way. 'Ah well, what do names matter anyway? How does that saying go...' she paused for a moment, then snapped her fingers. 'Ah, they're only smoke and mirrors, right?' She shrugged lightly. 'After all, it's the person that counts.'

'Right...' They clinked their glasses and toasted with their water. When Maddie took her sip, her thoughts drifted away.

After they had successfully accomplished their shopping mission, Maddie dropped Stephanie at the hotel, where she was staying with her husband. She then drove back to the office at an unusually fast speed, she could not wait to confront David with her new knowledge.

When Maddie eventually arrived at Blue Moon, everybody had left already, and the door to David's office was open, the lights dimmed. No sound was to be heard, and David was studying some files with the desk lamp on.

Maddie tiptoed in and said softly: 'Hey.'

David looked up and smiled his half-smile. 'Hey,' he replied and added with a little, un-Addison-like frown: 'Did you give her the big tour?'

Maddie glanced into the crib; the baby was asleep. 'Well, we took our time. Everything went well here?'

'Need you ask?' David shrugged smoothly, but – strangely enough – he also seemed a bit distracted, no..._ nervous?_ He cleared his throat. 'How'd your day go?'

'It was very nice. Stephanie is good company.'

'M-hm,' he managed, feeling clearly uncomfortable. Maddie smiled inwardly at his reaction.

'We had a nice chat,' she went on.

'You did, huh?'

Maddie couldn't hold it back any longer. 'Why didn't you tell me the truth?' she burst out.

David was still trying to pretend. ''Bout what?'

She shook her head and folded her arms mockingly. 'Well, Mister, looks like stepmom doesn't remember any of the pores on _your_ body,' she pointed out.

David closed his eyes for a second in defeat, then sighed and ruffled his hair. 'Well, what do you think? Because it's not very flattering for me, is it?'

'Flattering?' Maddie echoed. '_Flattering?_ Seriously? It's flattering for you that you didn't tell _her_ the truth!' Suddenly, she felt a rush of pity for him.

He shrugged. 'Well... why should I ruin her conscience and risk hurting... my father?' He looked at her with a mixture of slight embarrassment and utter honesty, and she felt a bolt of love from inside her core.

She was standing before him now, and she put both of her hands on his shoulders. 'You could never do that. Because you're a good-hearted and caring man.' Maddie touched his face lightly with her fingertips, leaving David speechless; he had half expected that she would be mad at him for not having told her the truth. But, obviously, he had thought wrong. Instead, she smiled at him mischievously, her blue eyes twinkling. 'Oh, and one more thing, David...' she lowered her voice in a sensual way. '_Me_, I could never, _ever_ forget one single moment I spent in bed with you... or on the couch...'

David's face lit up, and his eyes twinkled once more. 'In the shower?' he asked almost casually.

Maddie was still smiling, but her answer came out a bit hesitantly. 'Yes...'

He was getting into his stride now. '...on the carpet...'

Maddie's eyes narrowed dangerously. 'David...'

But nothing was gonna stop him now. '...in the car...'

'Addison!' she hissed sharply. 'That's enough! I think we both understand what it is that you're aiming at...'

Now he smirked. 'Yeah, I aim, shoot and score, every time!'

Maddie took a sharp breath in and tried really hard to look disgusted – and to fight off that smile that so desperately wanted to come out. 'You're an _insect_,' she snapped.

Quickly, he took her hand and kissed it. 'And I'm all tangled up in your cobweb, spider woman.'

She snatched her hand away but couldn't hide her amused tone any longer. 'Better be careful, I might bite your head off and have you for dinner!'

'Say dessert and I'm in,' he purred.

Maddie rolled her eyes and turned around to lift little Davey from the crib. David chuckled, all at ease with himself again, and took the changing bag. When they left the office, he was humming:

_'Spiderman is having me for dinner tonight...' _

Maddie looked closely at her reflection in the mirror of her bedroom vanity and smiled to herself. The champagne-colored dress was hugging her hour-glass figure perfectly, the soft, lace-covered satin fabric almost seemed to caress the curves of her body. It was a rather simple dress that rendered her absolutely breath-taking in her natural beauty; the skirt ended at the knee, and with the strapless top her shoulders would have been bare if it hadn't been for the little lace bolero-jacket. Her hair was simply falling in soft waves down her shoulders, pulled back only over her left ear and fixed with a creamy white orchid pin.

So, this was the day, finally. Had it seemed slightly unreal so far, especially after all the stress of the last few days with family duties, last minute organizations and all, now it was slowly, unmistakably sinking into Maddie's consciousness: she was really getting married to David, _married_ – and in less than an hour. _David Addison_. Her business partner and best friend, her lover and soul mate, father of her child, intoxicating drug and healing medicine, nightmare and sweetest, wildest dream – in short: the love of her life.

The breathless, excited voice of her maid of honor brought her from the depth of her thoughts to the surface of reality. 'Oh, you look so beautiful, Miss Hayes!' Agnes exclaimed, appearing behind her, admiring her over her shoulder.

Agnes was looking very pretty herself, in a pale lavender-colored dress that fell smoothly to her calves, and her brown curls tamed by a silk ribbon of the same color. She put her hands on Maddie's shoulders from behind and gave her a reassuring squeeze, just in case, although (Agnes noticed happily) her employer didn't show any sign of uneasiness or hesitation. When Maddie had asked her to be her maid of honor, she had suggested Agnes call her by her first name, but after a very short pause to think about that offer, the secretary had just smiled and shook her head and told Maddie that she somehow couldn't do that, because it just didn't seem right. But Maddie knew that the closeness Agnes felt for her was all the greater.

She put her hands on top of Agnes' and smiled. 'Thanks, Agnes... you really think?'

The dark-haired woman beamed in her typical way. 'Of course you do!' she confirmed vigorously. 'Oh, Mr. Addison is gonna be so happy!'

A dreamy expression crept over Maddie's face. 'And so am I, Agnes, so am I.'

'Oh, Miss Hayes...' Agnes sighed, 'although it's been a dream of mine for a long time to see you two... like that...' – the women exchanged almost conspiratorial smiles in the mirror – 'it almost doesn't seem real now, just think of it – in a few hours you won't be Miss Hayes anymore! I mean – you _will_ be Miss Hayes, of course, but you won't... you know... be _Miss_ Hayes.'

Maddie laughed softly and squeezed her hands. 'I know, Agnes. And I can't thank you enough for all the things you have done to help us get there.' She turned around to face her maid of honor and hugged her. Agnes returned the hug eagerly. When they pulled apart, Agnes scrutinized Maddie thoroughly in a very uncharacteristic way and shook her head.

'Would you _ever_ have imagined this, the first time you walked into City Of Angels a little more than three years ago?' It was a rhetorical question.

Maddie's lips curved into a fond, amused smile. 'Certainly not, Agnes... and I surely wouldn't have imagined it the first time I laid eyes on _him_.'

Agnes recalled that first meeting which seemed to have happened ages ago now. She chuckled. 'Well...'

Maddie rolled her eyes and nodded. 'Well...'

A short knock on the door was heard before Virginia popped her head in and smiled at both women. 'Are you girls ready? The limousine is here,' she announced.

Agnes took a step back. 'I'm gonna wait downstairs, Miss Hayes, Mrs. Hayes.' She gave a short wave and quickly left the room, leaving Maddie and her mother a short moment.

Virginia took her daughter's hands and asked softly: 'Are you ready, dear?'

Maddie smiled. 'Mom, I've been ready for this for a long time.'

Virginia pulled her in her arms for a brief hug and patted her back. 'I know, dear.' she held Maddie at arm's length and smoothed out her hair in a very motherly way. 'Then let's not have your man wait for any unnecessary moment longer.'

Maddie laughed. 'No, you're right, I think he's already had his share of waiting.'

Arm in arm, they left the room. Before she closed the door behind them, Maddie threw one last glance back over her shoulder, catching her own reflection in the mirror again, and the thought hit her that the next time she would enter this room, she would be a married woman. Agnes's voice rang in her head: _You won't be Miss Hayes anymore..._

She took a deep breath and clicked the door shut.

In the anteroom of the church, about fifteen minutes before the wedding ceremony was about to start, Agnes – being almost more excited than the bride herself – smoothed out Maddie's dress whereas Alex made his way down the aisle with long, determined steps. When he marched past his wife (who was sitting in the front row), Virginia frowned and asked suspiciously: 'Where do you think you are going?'

'Just for a little chitchat with our future son-in-law,' Alex replied.

Virginia put a firm hand on his arm. 'Alex!' she exclaimed in a slightly alarmed voice and gave him that severe better-not-mess-with-your-wife look of hers. 'Don't scare him off!'

Alex answered her with a light smile. 'Darling, don't worry,' he soothed. 'I'm quite sure that _this_ guy isn't easily scared.'

She smiled fondly, somewhat relieved at the tone of his voice. 'If anything, that is true.'

Her gaze followed her husband when he made his way towards the door to the small side room where David was supposed to be. She was truly satisfied with how things had turned out; not that she had ever really doubted her husband would recognize in the end what a treasure David really was – Alex adored their daughter, but he was fair enough to admit she wasn't perfect, and finally learning what really had happened between David and Maddie after she had left Chicago had certainly opened his eyes and earned their future son-in-law respect, big time.

David had been pacing around the small side room in the church for twenty minutes, waiting for his best man Richie to finally show up and the ceremony to start. For about the seventh time in the last five minutes he was checking his watch. Only ten minutes left, and no sign of his brother yet. _Terrific._

'Damn you, Rich,' he growled, when a short knock almost made him jump. 'About time,' he muttered under his breath and turned around at the sound of the opening door and froze at the surprise of seeing Maddie's father.

'Oh...' he cleared his throat. 'Mr. Hayes?' He threw him a questioning glance.

Alex raised his hands, palms to David, the international gesture for _I'm coming in peace._ 'I... I didn't want to disturb you right now, but... I've got something to say.'

David raised his eyebrows; he knew Alex had not been so fond of the whole process of the wedding, that he didn't marry Maddie before the baby had been born and that she didn't seem to get the big thing, the _fairytale stuff._ But, he had also noticed that the attitude of his future father-in-law towards him had changed over the last few days, had softened. Nevertheless, Alex's announcement added to his already throbbing nervousness. 'If I break her heart you're gonna rip my guts out and roast them?' he offered.

Alex cleared his throat and declared in a tone of utter conviction: 'Oh, I know you won't.' This earned him a surprised look from David; he firmly added: 'And yes, I will.'

David nodded with a feeble smile. 'Got your message, Sir.'

Alex returned the nod in an almost solemn manner. 'You should know that I told Madolyn the same.' When he saw David's questioning look, he explained quickly: 'Well, not exactly the same...' He drew a deep breath and straightened his back. 'I said if she breaks _your_ heart, I will disinherit her.' He underlined his last words with a serious nod.

David was taken aback, but not in an unpleasant way. 'You did?' he asked incredulously. What was the big Alexander Hayes about to tell him?

Alex nodded again. 'Sure.' He cleared his throat again. 'Listen, David, I know why this wedding is being held...' he slightly swayed his head, '...the way it's being held.'

David just kept looking at Alex quietly, his face not betraying anything. He wasn't yet sure what Alex wanted to tell him. 'You do?' he finally asked.

Alex nodded for the third time. 'My daughter wanted it this way. And God knows if my daughter wants something,' – a slight shrug of his impressive shoulders – 'that it's gotta be.' He paused, and David smiled. 'And – ' Alex paused again and drew a deep breath; obviously, it was not that easy for him to say what he had to say, but he wouldn't have been Alexander Hayes had he backed off from this. 'I know she had her reasons.'

David remained silent, thoughtful, mulling over the words Maddie's father had just spoken. _You bet she had her reasons._ He searched for Alex' gaze and found it was lingering on him in an almost apologetic way. The two most important men in Maddie Hayes' life exchanged meaningful looks, and then David finally understood _everything_. Alex had known that his daughter hadn't been too innocent where the messing up of their relationship was concerned, but he hadn't had any idea about how absurd things had been after Maddie's return from Chicago. _But now he knows. I don't know why and how, but he knows. He knows that I'm not his first son-in-law..._

David cleared his throat now. 'Mr. Hayes...'

The older man raised his hands again, in the same gesture as before. 'Please. _Alex_.'

David noticed that – another step ahead. He felt his respect for the man grow. 'Well, Alex, I...'

'I haven't finished yet,' Alex interrupted, and David fell silent at once. Maddie's father went on: 'Anyway, what I wanted to say was...' his voice trailed off for a moment and David leaned further forward, anxious not to miss anything; he had no idea what was about to come. 'I don't want to sound arrogant,' Alex went on, 'and I know that you already have a father, and he looks like a real good man to me, but... I just wanted you to know that...' Alex straightened his shoulders again and looked right into David's eyes. 'If you should ever find yourself in a situation where you think I might possibly be of some help whatsoever to you... please don't hesitate to let me know, will you?'

David's first impulse was to say a lot of things, express how moved he was – but instead he only nodded slowly. He had heard the message loud and clear: Alex was saying sorry in his own way, and there was only one thing left for David to do – to accept his apology. 'I will,' he firmly declared. 'That's very generous of you.'

'No, it's not,' Alex contradicted. 'It's a matter of course.' Again, he looked David straight in the eyes. 'We are family now.' He cleared his throat. 'Well, I just wanted to say that. OK.' He seemed relieved and at peace with himself. 'Now I'm gonna leave you alone with your... nerves.' He turned around to the door.

'Okay,' David muttered.

He was still following Alex' back with an amazed, thoughtful look when Alex rooted to the spot as if he had forgotten something. He slowly turned around again, and from the look on his face David could tell that, obviously, he still had something to say. David just looked at him, curiously, seriously, quietly, and waited for him to speak.

'Me and my beloved daughter...' Alex began and smiled indulgently. 'Well, I know that we're stubborn. Distrustful.' He managed a little sheepish smile and added: 'Bossy. We're certainly not easy to match.' He took a deep breath. 'But... sometimes... very rarely... we are really, _really_ lucky and meet someone special, like my wife...' David smiled fondly and nodded – Virginia had conquered his heart a long time ago. Alex cleared his throat again and added: '...or _you._'

For a moment, only a fraction of a second, time seemed to have stood still. Both men were silently studying each other, and meaningful, appreciative looks were exchanged. Finally, David just smiled and simply answered: 'Thanks.'

Alex nodded again, obviously satisfied now that he had said everything that should have been said. 'Good.' he waved his hand in an encouraging way. 'Now go and get my daughter.'

David blew his cheeks out in a slightly embarrassed way. 'Well... as soon as my best man is with me I'll be ready...'

Alex raised his hands again in a reassuring gesture. 'You take your time. You can be sure that I won't give her to anybody else.' He gave David one last feeble smile, then he left the room.

David stared at the closed door in disbelief. Alexander Hayes, same as his daughter, would obviously never fail to surprise him. Then, slowly, a pleased smile crept over his face and finally curled his lips.

'You forgot amazing,' he mumbled to himself. 'Stubborn, distrustful, bossy – and _amazing_.'

For a moment he bathed in the warm feeling that the talk with Alex had left him in, then reality once again hit with all its might, and he realized that the wedding ceremony was supposed to start in about two minutes, and he hadn't seen any sign of life from his best man yet, and he started to pace the room again, infuriated, fists clenched. He wasn't even aware he was mumbling curses.

All of a sudden, the door was thrown open, and a self-confident, long-legged Richie strolled in with beaming green eyes. 'You ready to face the dragon, bro?' he asked brightly.

_'You!'_ David shot an aggressive finger at him. 'I'm gonna kick your butt to...'

Richie backed away and hastily raised his hands in defense. 'Whoa! Easy!' he exclaimed and added in his best soothing voice: 'Shouldn't this be a day of joy?' he slapped his little brother lightly and playfully on the shoulder. 'Why so tense?'

David gasped furiously. 'Why? _Why?!_' He raised his fists and pressed through clenched teeth: 'Because I'm trying to get married and my friggin' best man doesn't show up, that's why!' The last words were almost yelled, and Richie was wise enough not to chuckle, although he had the urge to do so.

Instead, he smiled nonchalantly. 'Relax, bro. I'm here, ain't I? And you've still got plenty o'time to make a fool of yourself.' He smirked in a very Addison-ish way. 'As a matter of fact, the rest of your life.'

David was still breathing heavily, but, oddly enough, he found the anger at his stupid, jerky big brother had evaporated. 'Rich, I swear you are the stupidest...'

'Yo, Dave,' Richie interrupted in a very low voice and put his hands on David's shoulders, looking him deep in the eyes, green to green. '_Focus_. I know you're nervous but there's no need to be. I'm gonna tell you why.' He smoothed out David's lapels. 'You look great. You're gonna get married to the homecoming queen. _And_ she's coming home with you because she's crazy about you.' He squeezed his shoulders. 'All righty?'

While Richie had been talking, David had gradually been calming down more and more. Finally, he nodded slowly and smiled an involuntary, crooked smile when he suddenly realized that he was looking at his older self, and for a _really _crazy moment he felt like he was in Maddie's shoes. 'All righty then.' He took a deep breath and ruffled his hair. 'Do you have the rings?'

Richie's eyes widened, and he snapped his fingers. 'Darn! Shoot me bro, I knew something was missing!' When David's face went white, he quickly said: 'Hey, relax. Just kidding. Of course I have 'em.' He couldn't refrain from chuckling anymore. 'Boy, you should have seen your face just now!'

David snorted and suppressed a smile. 'You're toying with your life, jackass.' That hadn't even come out as fiercely as he had planned. 'Then... we're good to go?'

'You bet my nephew's college fund we're good to go.' Richie pushed David ahead, towards the door. 'Go! I have your back!'

David had his hand on the doorknob but stopped before turning it to open the door that lead into the church where all his family and friends were waiting to see him finally get married to his very own personal homecoming queen, and suddenly he knew that he didn't want anybody else by his side other than his best man, his big, annoying brother. 'Thanks, Rich.'

Richie punched him slightly on the shoulder. 'Don't thank me until you have heard my speech.'

David rolled his eyes. 'Oh, brother...'

Then he opened the door.

'Ready?' Alex asked and squeezed Maddie's right hand encouragingly before he pulled her arm through his.

She smiled up at him. 'More than ready.'

He smoothed out her hair with his right index finger. 'Then let's go and make this girl happy.'

Maddie was walking down the aisle at her father's arm, right behind her maid of honor, a proud and beaming and very gorgeous-looking Agnes. She didn't really hear the music and couldn't really take the whole scene in; her gaze was focused on what was happening at the end of the aisle. She saw the altar with the priest waiting behind it, and she saw the two handsome Addison brothers in their tuxedos standing there, waiting for her, two pairs of green eyes shining her way, one of them a deeper shade of green, but the other one glistening in an almost blinding manner. She looked away for one moment to gather her thoughts, trying to concentrate on her steps. You'd think this was odd for a former fashion model who should know – and usually did – how to walk down a catwalk with a lot of eyes upon her without stumbling. Yet, she felt shy like the ordinary bride-next-door, not used to public attention. She felt her palms dampen and her stomach fluttering; it stunned her that she felt so completely different from the first time she'd gone down this road – but then again, why would it stun her? It _was_ completely different. This time she walked down the aisle for all the right reasons. This time she was walking towards a real risk, yet one that was worth it. In short, this time it felt _right_.

Maddie's gaze brushed over the guests waiting on the left and on the right of the aisle, watching her, smiling. May of them had been present at her first wedding all those months ago, but from the look on their faces, they seemed to sense the difference too. With a quick scan, she noticed that her female employees Kris and Jamie had tears in their eyes, and Bert blew his nose loudly just at the moment she passed him by. MacGillicuddy blinked frantically. David's father looked at her with a hint of fatherly pride that warmed her heart, and Stephanie smiled and nodded slightly. Maddie smiled to herself when she saw that her friends, Walter and Terri were holding hands and seemed more focused on each other than on what was happening around them. She shook her head, _come on, this really shouldn't surprise you._

They had reached their destination, and with a big smile Agnes took the flower bouquet from Maddie's hands and stood aside while Alex took her right hand and put it in David's left, squeezing them both; then he placed a kiss on her temple, murmuring 'Hold on to him!' into her hair before he stepped back and took his seat in the first row beside his wife.

Only now, Maddie looked into David's eyes, and everything else around her vanished as she focused on them. All his love lay there for her to take, bare, exposed and simply breathtaking. She swallowed, almost overwhelmed, and suddenly she knew what was the only right thing to do here.

David's mouth felt dry when he watched Maddie walk down the aisle on her father's arm, heading towards him with a dreamy determination. Without even noticing, he rubbed his palms on the sides of his pants. They weren't exactly damp, but they were prickling with a strange sensation. David swallowed hard, but that lump in his throat just wouldn't go down. He realized that he hadn't felt this nervous since that night about a year ago – _only_ a year ago, seriously? It was the night when he was walking, hurrying up those last few steps to Maddie's door at four in the morning, rain pouring down on him like the seven floodgates of hell had opened, his soul at stake; his heart on his sleeve and every bit of his courage desperately scraped together in his hands along with those stolen flowers. And all of it – heart, soul and courage – were crushed and crumbled and washed away by the rain that very moment the entrance door was opened and he saw a very casual, very _under _dressed spaceman standing there, looking like he freaking belonged there, staring at him like an intruder.

He knew that even now, with all that had happened since then and with all that he – _they_ – had achieved, he would never _ever_ in his life forget the white-hot shot of pain that went right through him in those seconds. Fortunately for him, even though he had not grown up in an uptown world, he had never been stabbed – but he was sure that had to be how it felt when a thin but sharp blade was thrust in to your heart and slowly twisted around and around. It was a sensation that had paralyzed him for the next few days until it had almost been too late...

David almost jumped when he heard Richie's deep voice whispering in his ear: 'Look at her, bro... the damn Berlin wall couldn't stop her from coming to you!'

For the first time, he really took in the sight of her. The plain but elegant dress, hugging her perfect curves deliciously, the soft waves of her hair with that single white orchid, the small flower bouquet in her left hand. Her right hand was placed on her father's arm, and he found that she was looking everywhere but into his eyes which startled him for one moment; but then they reached him, it was when Alex had put Maddie's right hand into David's left. Alex had squeezed them both gently and given Maddie a kiss and David a barely perceptible but very fatherly nod before he stepped back. Maddie had lifted her face and looked at him with her crystal blue eyes, looked at him with an openness and warmth he had never before seen. Had he harbored any, ever-so-faint, fears or doubts about her feelings before (which, deep _deep_ down, he hadn't), in this moment it was the most obvious thing in the world that this woman was as devoted and ready to commit to him as he was to her.

They were only able to disentangle their stares when they heard the priest clear his throat.

David really hoped the happy grin he felt on his lips wasn't too stupid. When he tried to concentrate on the old priest's words he felt he calmed down more and more, so much that he was even tempted to close his eyes.

'Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today to join together David and Madolyn in holy matrimony...'

David snapped out of his dreamy state when all of a sudden he heard Maddie clear her throat. He knew even before she did it for the second time that something was wrong. When the priest didn't react, she spoke up – softly, almost shyly, but unmistakably. 'Uhm... excuse me...'

The priest fell silent and raised a questioning eyebrow. Maddie turned her head to the right. David pretended not to notice, but he didn't have a chance. 'David?'

Slowly, as if trying to avoid the inevitable, he turned to the left, to face her. 'Maddie?'

She leaned over towards him and whispered: 'Could I see you outside for a minute?'

He almost let out a nervous chuckle and muttered back uneasily under his breath: 'Just a suggestion... how 'bout we finish this here first?' He motioned his left hand vaguely to the priest behind the altar.

She firmly shook her head, a gesture that allowed no objection; he knew that from over three years of experience. 'It's _urgent_.'

David closed his eyes for a moment and heard shuffling feet from the guests behind them. _This can't be good._ He had no idea what she was up to; nothing could have prepared him for this. He avoided her eyes, having the strangest sensation that his guts were being roasted and shock-frozen at the same time. He turned to the priest. 'If you would excuse us just for one minute, Father...'

The older man nodded indulgently and a little encouragingly. 'Take your time, son.'

David took a deep breath and turned around for a quick scan over their family and friends: everybody was looking either puzzled or worried, Agnes' jaw had dropped, and she was clasping her hands in front of her chest; in fact, a lot of the guests were even experiencing déjà-vu as they were reminded of that other wedding that had abruptly ended with the bride running away.

David raised his hands in an apologizing gesture and tried to sound nonchalant: 'Don't go away, folks. We'll be right back.'_ I really hope so._ He gave them his best hit at the Addison grin, but somehow it managed to reveal the nervousness he felt. He took Maddie's elbow and led her to the small side room where he had been waiting only a few minutes before.

When they had disappeared, Alex leaned towards his wife and asked, totally startled: 'What the hell is going on?'

Virginia was keeping her composure and replied, just slightly puzzled: 'Don't worry, dear.'

'Don't worry?' Alex echoed. 'What do you mean, _don't worry?_ Our daughter just...'

'Don't worry,' Virginia repeated firmly. 'I know my daughter. Once she's made the right decision... she sticks to it.'

Alex grumbled audibly; the word _disinherit_ seemed to be uttered.

David let Maddie enter the small side room and then followed her, slowly closing the door behind him. He waited patiently until she finally turned around to face him with an uneasy little smile. He drew a deep breath and addressed her, trying to stay calm. He was anything but calm, though.

'So...?' he encouraged.

She clasped her hands. 'So...' she let her voice trail off.

David cleared his throat. 'Well...' he paused, hoping she'd speak up, but she remained silent. He sighed. 'No pressure, but... do you think you could tell me what's the matter?'

Maddie drew a deep breath and dropped the bomb. 'David, I can't do this.'

He felt as if he had been punched in the gut. _This must be a nightmare_. The following seconds stretched to an age while David was wildly, madly thinking. In a desperate attempt to save this absurd situation somehow, he tried to keep it light. 'Uhm... just to make sure...' – almost mechanically, his lips curled into a crooked, helpless grin, but it didn't work – '…by _this_ you don't mean the throwing of the bouquet, right?'

Maddie worried the orchid in her hair and made a nervous, vague motion with her right hand that looked disturbingly all-encompassing to David. 'I mean... _this_. Getting married this way. I can't do it. It wouldn't be right.'

'But you planned it all by yourself,' he reminded her, 'just how you wanted it!'

'I know,' she admitted. 'But I didn't mean the reception or the ceremony itself...'

The tone of his voice took on an urgency as the time ticked on. 'What is it then?'

She paused again to swallow. 'Do you remember what you said when you... proposed?' Her big blue eyes were looking at him, piercing him with their intense stare, and he got more nervous with every second, because he had no idea where she was aiming. His mind was racing. _When I proposed? Did I screw up when I proposed?_

Suddenly, he snapped his fingers. 'OK, I got it!' he exclaimed. 'That's it, then?' _OK, this can be fixed._ He ruffled his hair. 'Look, Blondie... I know this wasn't the most romantic proposal ever, but...'

Maddie shook her head, in an almost apologetic way, and interrupted: 'It's not about _that_.'

David threw his hands in the air, clearly upset now, and exclaimed in a very untypical, almost high-pitched voice: 'Then _what_ is your freaking problem?'

Maddie seemed to be rather calm which confused and irritated him even more. She sighed. '_Do_ you remember what you said?'

He rubbed his eyes warily. 'Maddie, I say a lot of things! _All the time!_ That's what I do!' He stopped and expected her to say something, comment on that, enlighten him. But she just watched him silently, waiting. He sighed; it was more a gasp, though. 'OK, I said "Let's get married"?' he offered.

Obviously, he had hit the bull's eye, because her right index finger immediately shot at him like a bullet. 'You modified that!' she made clear. 'You said – we get married, and I keep my name.'

He nodded almost frantically, not getting her point. 'Yeah, and so? What's wrong with that? I thought it was what you wanted!'

'It sounds like a pact,' she blurted out.

_'What?!'_

'It sounds like a pact!' she repeated in a determined voice that made him feel like he had been hit on the head.

He shook his head vigorously and pointed both index fingers in the air in an almost menacing gesture. 'No, it doesn't!'

'Yes, it does!' she insisted stubbornly.

'Does not!'

'Does too!'

David grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her slightly to get some sense into her, still wanting to wake up from a really bad dream, pulling her with him, back into the real world. '_Does – not!_' he barked. 'That's _not_ a pact! _Tit for tat _is a pact. _Show me your assets and I'll show you mine_ is a pact. _If I say it never happened and you say it never happened it never happened_ is a goddamn pact. This is...' – for a moment, he almost stumbled over his words, looking for the right one – 'a compromise!'

'Take it back,' Maddie demanded quietly, without any visible reaction to his outburst.

His jaw dropped._ 'What?!'_

'Your proposal. _Take it back,_' she insisted firmly.

'Hell, _no!_' he exploded. 'Are you nuts?! You _are_ nuts! I won't take anything back!'

Maddie was speaking slowly, pointedly, almost in a pleading voice now. 'Take it back and ask me again. Without any modification,' she added.

David's eyes widened in disbelief, almost to the point of popping out. 'What?'

Maddie took a deep breath and let the air out slowly, deliberately. Then she repeated very quietly but firmly: _'Ask – me – again.'_

For a few moments, neither of them spoke, but David's mouth fell open as it slowly dawned on him what she was trying to say. Could this really be? It was the only thing that made sense. He opened and closed his mouth a few times and tried to speak, but his voice almost failed him. He cleared his throat, and then, finally, the words came out.

'I remember every single word I said,' he assured her. 'I said _You should be an Addison.'_ He paused and searched her face for a reaction, a glint in her eyes, a twitching at the corners of her mouth, anything that might indicate whether he was on the right trail. He added: 'And you _should_. I mean, you don't have to, but...' he cleared his throat again, and _that_ was the moment when he thought he had seen the faintest flutter of her eyelashes. Eagerly, he went on, without even trying to choose the right words – they just fell right from his mouth, all by themselves. 'Look, Blondie... I want to go to sleep and wake up next to you every day for the rest of my life. I want to drive you crazy. I want you to yell at me. To throw things at me._ To slam doors in my face._' his gaze searched for her eyes, and their stares locked. What he saw there encouraged him to take her hands into his. 'To be my better half,' he added softly, and yes, she blinked away a tear.

'I want to raise our son with you and all the kids that are still to come,' he went on. 'I want to grow old with you. I want to make love to you until we both can't walk straight any more, and I want to be your best friend.' he squeezed her hands and had to use every ounce of his willpower to keep his voice from shaking. Her eyes were closed now, but he knew she was drinking in every word. 'I love you, Maddie. Names are nothing but smoke and mirrors, but let me ask you – _please_, would you marry me and take my name?'

She opened her eyes and let out a teary, adorable little sigh. 'Oh, David... I thought you'd _never_ ask!' Then she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him so tight that he thought his ribs would break. He encircled her in his arms and closed his eyes for a moment. _Oh thank God_ was all he could think.

After a long moment, he pulled back a little and looked her in the eyes again, scrutinizing her closely. 'Just for the record... Is this a yes?'

Maddie nodded fiercely and smiled through her tears, then she answered him in a thick voice. 'It is. And I want all that too.'

He ruffled his hair again and growled. 'Hell, woman, you just scared the _crap_ outta me.' He firmly grasped her hand. 'What are we waiting for?'

She had found her humor again. 'Well, obviously we had to wait for you to speak up – _again_,' she teased and opened the door before he could reply with anything. 'Ready when you are.'

The wedding reception was not a huge one, as Maddie had wished, and it was being held at the Addison home, formerly known as the Hayes/Addison residence, _more_ formerly known as Maddie's house. There were not more than forty people, it was an almost intimate celebration, and Maddie was perfectly happy with it. The atmosphere was familiar, and everybody seemed to be having a good time.

They had all finished the wonderful wedding dinner, and David had been half hoping Richie had forgotten that he was the best man. But just before the party was about to really start, much to his dismay, his brother rose to his feet and clinked his knife to his glass very clearly and very loudly, finally speaking up:

'Hear, hear...'

But the guests were having such a good time chatting with each other, that they didn't fall silent immediately, so Richie raised an eyebrow and raised his impressively deep voice to a thundering:_ 'Yo!'_

Simultaneously, all gazes darted in his direction, and David grumbled audibly: 'Oh great, here comes Mr. social skills...'

A few people giggled, and Maddie elbowed her husband in the ribs and hissed: 'Leave him alone!'

Richie winked at her and raised his glass. 'Thanks, sweetie.' David rolled his eyes, and he cleared his throat again.

'Here's to my bro and new sisinlaw...' Richie began; he was addressing David and Maddie directly now. 'I knew there was something special between the two of you when I saw you together for the first time, although you both denied it back then...' – they both exchanged a knowing smile – 'but hey, no flies on an Addison!'

Everybody laughed, and David murmured with a smile: 'Whatever that means.'

'Of course,' his brother went on, 'that didn't stop me from tryin' my luck with Maddie...' She blew him a little kiss, and David playfully shook his fist at him, but his smile betrayed him. Richie pointed a finger at him. 'And _you_ sure beat the hell outta me for that, bro!'

The guests were laughing again, and Maddie rolled her eyes when she recalled the day the Addison brothers had wrecked her living room during a heated fight.

'Well, bro,' Richie raised his glass towards Maddie, 'as usual, you got the prettiest girl. And you, sis...' – he bent a little forward in Maddie's direction, motioning his head towards David and lowered his voice to a theatrical, clearly audible whisper – 'you sure as hell got the best guy. But you don't have that from me.'

A roar of applause sounded when Richie raised his glass and took a deep gulp, thus unceremoniously announcing that he was through with his speech. David jumped up from his chair and punched his brother in the shoulder.

'Ouch!' Richie whined. 'What was _that_ for?!'

'C'mere, dork,' David growled and hugged Richie. Maddie stood up, next in line for a hug, and while she was waiting for the two brothers to break apart, she caught a glimpse of her father-in-law and his wife. David Sr. was making a funny face, desperately trying to keep his composure, and sweet Stephanie dabbed a handkerchief to her eyes.

Suddenly, another clink of metal to glass was heard and Maddie turned around to see, to her surprise, that Agnes had also risen from her chair. The crowd went quiet again, and Maddie, David and Richie sank back in their chairs.

Agnes cleared her throat and announced a little shyly: 'The staff of Blue Moon has asked me to say a few words to you, Miss Hay–... I mean, Mrs. Addison and Mr. Addison...' she hesitated and blushed when she suddenly found all eyes on her. Bert reached for her hand and squeezed it lightly, and finally she drew a deep breath and said in a clear voice:

'A wonderful day we will never forget

Was the one when David and Maddie first met.'

She blushed slightly when she mentioned their first names, but went right on:

'It wasn't exactly love at first sight

More two forces of nature locked in a fight

We got used to the sound of her slamming a door

And to him solving those cases like never before

Through hell and high water we saw them both sail

Side by side they followed the same crooked trail.

It brought them together, it tore them apart

But they always stayed in each other's heart.'

David reached for Maddie's hand on the table, and they exchanged a smile.

'Reunited, they welcomed their sweet baby son

And today a new chapter of their life has begun

So now I do say – raise up all those glasses above

Now let's celebrate the victory of one special love!'

Agnes raised her glass, but all thank yous were drowned by the cheers of the guests.

The guests were dancing, chatting and socializing in a very relaxed atmosphere. Little Davey had been brought downstairs, fed, passed around, admired and cuddled by everybody – apparently he seemed to like it. Then he was taken upstairs again by Virginia, who was joined by Stephanie.

Meanwhile, David and Maddie were sucked in by the crowd and chatted their ways through the jolly bunch of guests.

Suddenly, David felt a hand on his shoulder. 'Congratulations again,' Walter said to him and smiled.

David grinned back and playfully nudged his shoulder. 'Thanks, Wally. You're not bearing grudges any more, are you? 'Cause I got her to say _yes_ to me?'

Walter shook his head and gave a benevolent little snort. 'We both know she had said _yes_ to you a long time before she even met me.' He shrugged with a sheepish grin. 'Besides...'

David smiled his half-smile and nodded. 'I know.' His gaze followed Walter's to the corner where Terri and Maddie were sitting side by side, chatting, both with relaxed smiles on their faces. 'You know,' he said slowly, 'if things had been different, I could have fallen for that quirky little brunette myself. But there was always that tall blonde haunting me...'

Walter tilted his head in consent. 'And you haunted her.' He shrugged again. 'Which is what brought us all together in that labor room. I guess you could say it was... I don't know... meant to be?' he suggested.

David winked. '_Kismet_.'

Walter grinned. 'Kismet? I like that word.'

David laughed and slapped him on the shoulder. 'C'mon, pal, let's see if we can separate these two magpies.' Walter chuckled and followed him, and they made their way over to their mates, David's eager stroll leading the pace.

He approached them with a spring in his step and put on his best Addison smile, extending his hand to his wife. _Wife_, he thought and felt his head spin. 'Hey Lady, wanna dance?'

Maddie pretended to think about it for a minute, then she pursed her lips playfully. 'If you say the magic word,' she demanded. Terri smirked and threw an affectionate glance over David's shoulder at Walter. They shared a conspiratorial smile.

'Please?' David sing-songed.

Maddie rolled her eyes. 'Oh, _please,_' she chastised. 'Seriously?'

He was a trifle confused. 'Uhm... C'mere?' he offered hopefully.

Terri chuckled and shook her head. _This could take a long time_, she thought and unceremoniously took Walter's outstretched hand, leaving Maddie's side and following him; their departure went unnoticed by the newlyweds.

'Close...' Maddie purred, and finally the penny dropped.

David's lips curled into his half-smile. 'C'mere, _Mrs. Addison?_' he asked in a husky voice.

Maddie beamed and finally took his hand. 'You better get used to that, buster!'

He led her to the dance floor. 'Don't worry, Blondie, you're gonna hear that more often than you'd like,' he threatened.

They swayed quietly and happily to the music for a while, then Maddie remarked in a somewhat thoughtful voice: 'Our first dance as Mr. and Mrs. Addison!'

David's eyes were half-closed, and he inhaled the scent of Maddie's hair which he had always loved to do when they were dancing. He just managed a dreamy 'Yeah...'

'Doesn't feel any different to me,' she declared.

David pulled back a little to look her in the eyes and smirked. 'Are you saying, Mrs. Addison, that you _always_ felt that great in my arms?' he asked smugly.

A pearly little laugh bubbled in Maddie's throat. 'I am, and I did. And you know it. _That_ was never my problem. It was always great to be in your arms, on the dance floor and... well, anywhere else.' She focused on his face and went on in a more serious tone: 'I always felt... safe there. At home.' She let her fingers run casually, almost absentmindedly, up and down the top of his arms. 'But now,' she went on, 'it feels like... like your arms are _always_ around me, even when they're not.'

He knew what she meant, and finally he understood those fears, doubts and insecurities that she had about him, about _them._ She had harbored these feelings for a long time, long enough to make her run away from him in the first place. Of course, he had already known back then that she had never wanted to hurt him, she had just been scared. He tightened his embrace again. 'They _are_, Blondie,' he whispered into her hair. 'I love you.'

Maddie closed her eyes again and leaned her temple on his cheek. 'I love _you,_' she replied softly, and he smiled. 'So much.'

Both were stunned when, as if on cue, they heard the bluesy version of a song that seemed to have been written just for them.

_'You've got to_

_Give a little, take a little,_

_Let your poor heart break a little_

_That's the story of,_

_That's the glory of love._

_You've got to _

_Laugh a little, cry a little_

_Until the clouds roll by a little_

_That's the story of,_

_That's the glory of love.'_

'Ever heard a more perfect song? It may as well have been written for us,' David murmured in her ear. '_Laugh a little, cry a little?_ Tell me again you don't believe in kismet.'

Maddie rolled her eyes. 'Your precious _kismet_ had nothing to do with it, David. I let Agnes choose the music.'

'Oh, don't kill the mood woman.' He tightened his embrace, and they both laughed, then closed their eyes simultaneously and drank the last lines of the song in, barely moving.

_'You've got to _

_Win a little, lose a little_

_And always have the blues a little_

_That's the story of,_

_That's the glory of love.'_

When the song was over, they stood there for a while, in the middle of the dance floor, apparently glued to each other. Then David put his hand on the small of her back, sending little shivers up and down her spine, and led her to a quiet corner, putting a flute of champagne in her hand and helping himself to another one. Smiling, they clinked.

'So...' he winked at her, green eyes glistening, lips curled into his half-smile. 'Happy, Mrs. Addison?' he asked.

'I've been worse,' Maddie nonchalantly answered, and he laughed.

'Don't kid a kidder,' he teased, 'I know you're beyond _thrilled_ about the fact that you've finally managed to hunt me down.'

Maddie rolled her eyes. 'Yeah, keep dreaming.'

'Hey,' he said softly, his tone changing from playful to more serious. 'Is this wedding like you imagined it for us?' he asked almost anxiously.

'Well, except for the fact that I never imagined a wedding for us at all...' she stopped herself when she saw his serious face and nodded solemnly. 'Really, this is _exactly_ the wedding I wanted,' she assured him, giving him an encouraging smile, touched by his concern. 'I'm happy to have all these special people with us on our special day, and I couldn't have dreamed of anything better for my _real_ first wedding.'

He swallowed, very moved by the choice of her words. Before he could say anything, she leaned towards him and lowered her voice to a sultry whisper: 'Although, right now, I wish I just could sneak away with you...'

David's face lit up even more, if it was possible, and suddenly there was the infamous devil glint in his eyes and he purred: 'Well, why don't we just do that?'

Maddie shrugged in resignation. 'Well, it would be really great, but we can't...'

'What would you say,' David interrupted, 'if I told you that there is a honeymoon suite somewhere out there with our names on it?'

Maddie's eyebrows almost jumped up. 'What?'

'_What?!_' he repeated in mock horror. 'I'm shocked and appalled. The name's Addison, of course.'

She slapped his arm. 'You know what I mean! I mean – what are you talking about?'

He gave her a heart-stopping smile. 'I'm talking about our wedding night, of course. _The_ night. _Delight night_. I thought it would be nice if we spent it alone – just you, me and a bottle of the finest heavy weight motor oil.' He winked. 'The latter is optional.'

Maddie couldn't help but return his smile. 'May I remind you that you've used that line on me before and I wasn't interested?'

He smirked. 'And may I remind you...' he grabbed her left hand and held it up between them, pointing at their wedding rings. 'You're supposed to be interested now.'

'Supposed?' she echoed and folded her arms, all Hayes-style. 'Well, I got news for you, Addison: I don't give a flying fig about what I'm _supposed_ to be. I _am_ interested. But we can't just disappear.'

'Why not?' He motioned his head towards the guests. 'They are having so much fun, they won't even notice we're gone. And besides – it's already organized.'

Maddie frowned. 'Organized?' she repeated skeptically. 'What do you mean by _organized?_'

He pursed his lips in a thoughtful, yet mocking way. 'Well, I believe the correct definition according to Webster's is _following a set method, arrangement or pattern_.' He lectured and laughed when he saw her roll her eyes. 'I mean I have it all planned, Blondie. Did you think I was kidding when I said there's a honeymoon suite with our names on it?'

Maddie's eyes widened in delightful disbelief, becoming huge azure blue marbles. 'You didn't...!'

David's mouth curled into a telling smile, and he just gave a barely perceptible nod, enjoying the total bliss slowly spreading across her face. But then her expression changed to regret and disappointment.

'Oh, David...' she sighed sadly, 'that would be _so_ wonderful, but we can't just leave Davey...'

'Your parents will be happy to take care of him,' David offered.

She didn't dare to think the thought. 'Oh, but they might be afraid to...'

'Your mom has already agreed on it,' came his prompt answer.

Maddie could only stare at him. 'You have been _plotting_ this with my mom?'

'Plotting, conniving – colluding...' his voice went lower with every word, and he brought his face closer to hers, purring the last word in her ear, again sending shivers down her spine: '_Conspiring_.'

Her eyes were glittering with secret delight, eager anticipation. 'I'll have to arrange a few things...'

'Maddie, Maddie, Maddie,' he interrupted in an indulgent voice, like a patient teacher would have used on an unobservant pupil. 'Which part of _I have it all planned_ didn't you understand?'

She put her hands to her hips, slightly annoyed. 'I got it, _hub_,' she snapped, 'you booked a suite and talked to my mom, but...'

'We need to pack a few things,' David interrupted, mimicking her.

'Yes, for example!' she confirmed, feeling a bit irritated.

'We need to write down instructions for grandma and grandpa for taking care of Junior.'

She was eyeing him suspiciously. 'That too...'

He smiled at her openly, completely without mockery now, and raised his hands, palms up. '_Done_, Blondie. That is all done.'

Maddie just stared at him, totally amazed. 'All done,' she echoed feebly.

'All done,' he confirmed and held out his hand. 'May I abduct you, Mrs. Addison?'

She put her hand in his, immediately feeling the electricity buzz at their touch, a mesmerized smile spreading from her eyes to her mouth and then making her whole face gleam. 'Any time, Mr. Addison.'

Almost unnoticed by the crowd, Maddie and David snuck out, followed on their heels by Virginia and Alex. Maddie was stunned that she really found a little bag where David had "packed a few things" waiting for them in the car. She turned to him, her eyes widened in amazement whereas David shrugged with a smug grin on his face, mouthing _told you so_.

Smiling, she shook her head and turned to her parents to hug them goodbye. 'Oh, mom, dad,' she sighed happily and guiltily at the same time and took their hands in hers, 'are you really sure...'

'Relax, baby,' Alex interrupted firmly, much to his wife's amazement 'just _relax_. Everything will be fine.'

'Thank you, daddy!' Maddie threw herself into her father's arms, and Virginia and David exchanged a knowing and conspiratorial smile. Alex kissed his daughter's temple and murmured into her hair: 'Go and walk barefoot, baby.'

Maddie wasn't sure she had heard right; she pulled back to look into her father's eyes and frowned slightly, questioningly. When he just smiled back and squeezed her shoulders, obviously too moved to speak any further, she nodded and muttered back: 'Okay, dad. I will.'

Virginia hugged her daughter. 'Don't worry,' she encouraged, 'we'll take care of everything. And in case we need you – which we won't – we know where we can reach you. David has written down the phone number of your hotel.'

Maddie chuckled and shook her head in disbelief. 'Of course,' she murmured to herself and, after blowing a last kiss to her parents, climbed into the passenger seat.

David and Alex shook hands, and he kissed his mother-in-law's cheek before he literally jumped into the car and started the engine. Alex and Virginia waved after them until the red lights of the car had disappeared into the night, then they turned to each other. Virginia's forehead bore the same benevolent frown as Maddie's before.

'Walk barefoot?' she asked.

Alex shrugged. 'Just a saying.'

Virginia smiled.

They had checked in to a snuggly but elegant little hotel in the Hollywood Hills. Maddie hadn't been able to restrain herself from grinning almost foolishly when the clerk at the hotel reception conveyed his congratulations to the obvious newlyweds (both still wearing their wedding outfits) when he checked his reservation book and confirmed: 'Ah yes, there you are, the Honeymoon Suite, Mr. and Mrs. Addison.' Maddie giggled like a schoolgirl.

The suite itself was perfect, all with an oversized, shell-shaped bed (the sight of which David acknowledged with a wolfish grin), creamy-white satin sheets, flowers, candles, a jacuzzi and a platter of strawberries next to an ice bucket with a bottle of champagne. Maddie had the feeling that she was walking with clouds at her feet – it was the strangest feeling that she couldn't describe. The whole setting and situation were utterly realistic and surreal at the same time.

Maddie went to the bathroom for a moment to pull herself together. She splashed cold water onto her face and looked at herself in the mirror. She saw nothing but radiant happiness and sheer self-confidence, confidence in her love and the life she had chosen. Or had this life chosen her? Had it been indeed _kismet_ after all? She didn't know, and she didn't care. She was sure of only one thing: that David Addison, her husband, was waiting outside for her, the man she had once thought she wasn't _supposed_ to be with but she now knew she certainly was _meant_ to be with. She smiled and pushed the bathroom door open, but before she could even step outside, David entered the bathroom like the whirlwind that he was and, without warning, swept her up in his arms, causing her stomach to flip.

'Hey!' she gasped breathlessly, 'what do you think you're you doing?'

He grinned. 'Well, I thought I should at least carry you over the threshold of the bathroom...'

Maddie raised a playfully skeptical eyebrow, but slid her arms around his neck. 'Isn't that a bit kitschy?' she probed.

David shrugged in spite of the weight in his arms, enjoying the feeling of holding her that way. 'I don't care, I just felt like doing that,' he stated with disarming sincerity and smiled at her. She felt his hot hands at the hollows of her knees and at her back and, for a momet, she felt like drowning in his stunning green eyes and his strong arms. 'I could stand here like this _all_ night long.'

Their stares locked, and for a few moments time seemed to stand still, and neither of them moved or spoke. After half a century or so Maddie swallowed. 'Well, I hope you won't...' she finally managed and added: 'I mean, since you said you had it _all_ planned – haven't you pencilled in anything else for tonight?' She batted her eyelashes meaningfully at him.

David was thrilled about her lightness, her playfulness. He smiled his half-smile. 'Like what?' he asked mischievously.

'Well, I'm not sure...' Maddie pursed her lips. 'Didn't you call this the _delight night_ earlier?'

'A delight night...' he repeated and pretended to think about that, then he slowly nodded, as if something had dawned on him. 'Oh yeah, you betcha I did. The delight night.' His lips curled even more into his crooked grin that had always made her want to slap him or kiss him – often both. 'Believe me,' he drawled, 'you're _so_ gonna get it!'

Maddie threw her head back and produced a wonderfully throaty laugh, then she brought her face close to his neck and started to nibble on his earlobe and kiss the sensitive spot right below it – _yes_, David Addison had some weak spots too, some buttons to push, and she knew _all_ of them. He shivered and quickly carried her over to the bed, and they both fell down on it, Maddie lying half across him, laughing out all of their happiness.

'What,' Maddie exclaimed in mock disappointment, 'already tired?'

He threw her an evil grin and started to unfasten his tie. 'Trust me, woman, you _don't_ wanna challenge me.'

'Looks like I just did,' Maddie teased and caught his wrists with her hands. 'No, don't...' she demanded softly and added huskily, her eyes all dark cornflower blue: 'Please, let me.'

David lowered his hands, thrilled by her demand, and Maddie unfastened his tie with expert fingers but she wasn't looking at him while she did so; in an almost shy way she was looking down at her own hands with a slight blush on her face, as if she was – as if _they were_ – doing this for the first time. He was very touched by that genuine, girlish way, but he hid it a little behind a smirk. 'Admit it, Blondie,' he purred smoothly, 'you wanted to do this since the first day you laid eyes on me!'

This helped her to overcome her embarrassment. She smiled and vividly shook her head, sending soft waves through her loose hair. 'No, no, you got that completely wrong, mister. I wanted to _strangle_ you with that tie!'

David slumped back on the pillow in fake defeat, arms widely spread. 'Well, I'm at your mercy,' he declared theatrically, 'you have your chance now. What are you going to do with it?'

'Hmmm...' Maddie purred in a sultry voice and slowly, very slowly pulled the unfastened tie from his collar. 'I think I'm gonna let you live – for now...and at a price... '

With a sudden, slick move he caught her by surprise in his arms, embraced her firmly, rolled her over and ended on top of her, pinning her down onto the soft pillows on cool sheets. They wouldn't stay cool for long.

'Bad mistake, Mrs. Addison...' he purred in a low voice that sent a shot of heat right into the center of her being, bringing his face dangerously close to hers. 'And one that I might make you regret it for the rest of your life...'

Maddie felt elated like she was on top of the world, exactly where she wanted to be, where she _needed_ and where she was meant to be. She smiled up at him with slightly parted lips, a seductive, happy, open, _ready-for-anything_ and _devil-may-care_ smile and grabbed his spiky hair with both hands to pull him closer to her breathless mouth and her beating heart. 'Go on, Addison,' she challenged him, '_make_ me!'

The air between them seemed to vibrate with electricity, mirrored in the devilish glint in his eyes, and her heart skipped a beat.

Then he said: 'Don't worry, _Addison_. I will.'

_**The End**_

_**Songs:**_

_Lovesong – _The Cure

_The Glory Of Love_ – B. B. King

_**Acknowledgements:**_

This took me _really_ long to finish – maybe because I wasn't ready for letting go (which doesn't mean, however, that this case is for ever closed... just sayin'). I want to say thanks to all my ML girls and true friends, old and new, who accompanied me through this, starting from my very first attempt; you know who you are.

A special thanks as usually to my partner in crime _**Nancy**_, as always – for your patience, for editing, encouraging, correcting mistakes, smoothing out my style and otherwise holding back your wisdom and letting me do this solo and all by myself. But you're doomed now – Moonbeams and Darth Vader are waiting... _You_ _truly_ _rock, Shakes._


End file.
